Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy Signs Legislation Reducing the Age of Mobilization into Law
On 2 April, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy signed a law that reduced the age of mobilization in Ukrainian Armed Forces from 27 down to 25.
The document was voted on by Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s Parliament) last year, but it will go into force only now, due to the heavy political baggage associated with forcing more people to join the armed forces.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of volunteers flocked to the army, ready to defend their country. However, this source of manpower eventually waned, and the number of people willing to enlist decreased, particularly following setbacks in Ukraine’s 2023 summer counter-offensive. According to a recent poll conducted by Ukraine’s Rating Group, only 45% of the Ukrainian population now believes in the restoration of its 1991 borders – a significant drop from the 68% recorded in September 2023. Zelenskyy’s approval ratings have similarly declined over the past year, from a high of 91% to 63%.
Yet the same reasons that make mobilization more unpopular also make it even more necessary. Since Ukraine’s counter-offensive ground to a halt around December of last year, Russian forces have been making incremental gains. Their sheer advantage in manpower and munitions has repeatedly forced the Ukrainian Armed Forces to withdraw from positions due to shortages of both men and ammo, including the recent retreat from Avdiivka after over 4 months of intense fighting.
At the same time, Verkhovna Rada is working on another bill that broadly deals with lightening the drafting requirements, and after its committee on National Defence finished reviewing over 42,000 proposed amendments last week, it’s due to get its 2nd reading around the middle of April, according to a Telegram post by Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of the Verkhovna Rada.