Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has approved a law to lower the army mobilization age from 27 to 25, the parliament announced on Tuesday, March 2.
This move addresses Ukraine's urgent need for additional troops as the war with Russia entered its third year and has taken a heavy toll on the country's military resources.
Oddly, Zelensky signed the bill only almost a year after it was adopted by parliament.
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With little significant movement on the frontlines for either side in the past year, Zelensky's administration has underscored the importance of mobilizing additional personnel to counter Moscow's forces effectively.
Oddly, Zelensky signed the bill only almost a year after it was adopted by parliament.
Zelensky said in December the army wanted to mobilize up to half a million people to battle Moscow's forces in Ukraine.
In February, the Ukrainian parliament endorsed a bill aimed at facilitating the enlistment of more soldiers into the armed forces.
The new mobilization draft law is intended to address mobilization issues. It passed its first reading on Feb. 12, which allowed amendments to be made to it. After the amendments are considered, it gets voted on a second time and then becomes a law or not.
However, some 4,300 amendments, most of them proposed by President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, have been proposed and have been holding up the process.
The proposed draft law lowers the conscription age from 27 to 25 and adds new penalties for those found to be draft-dodging – including a significant increase in fines.
It proposes to define more clearly who can be exempted from mobilization and who is responsible for carrying out the mobilization in conjunction with the Territorial Recruitment Centers – be it at the level of towns or regions.
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However, concerns persist regarding the fairness, efficiency, and integrity of Ukraine's army enlistment system, with widespread calls for reforms to address these shortcomings.
Moreover, there is growing advocacy for the demobilization of battle-weary fighters who have endured prolonged frontline deployments.
You can read more on the pending mobilization issues in Ukraine here.
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