Why Ukraine refuses to lower its draft age to combat Russia's huge supply of troops
Despite almost three years of brutal fighting and 43,000 soldiers killed in action, Ukraine is still hesitant to lower its conscription age to 18 years old – but why?
On the frontline, Ukraine is struggling to replace casualties and rotate exhausted troops, however, in Kyiv many young men who could serve in the Armed Forces are not legally required to join the fight.
Despite questions from US lawmakers, calls from the German government and even previous warnings from the former commander-in-chief that more men are needed, President Zelensky is unwilling to lower the age of conscription below 25.
The Ukrainian government is attempting to preserve as many young men from the horrors of war as it can, describing the next generation as "the fathers of the future".
But this still leaves the armed forces in need of nearly half a million men, according to former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Ukraine has the lowest birth rate in Europe and, since 2014, the population has fallen by 10 million.
Furthermore, reports suggest 650,000 more fighting-age males have left the country since the Russian invasion and are now living across Europe.
The president has also said Ukraine doesn't have enough military equipment to sustain an army bigger than its current one million men.
The average age of a Ukrainian soldier is 43, and men aged from 18 to 60 are barred from leaving the country.
While the German government is calling for Ukraine to lower its conscription age, an estimated 200,000 fighting-aged males have already fled to their country.
A year ago, Mr Zelensky did yield to pressure and lowered the minimum age of compulsory military service from 27 to 25. However, it remains to be seen if he will lower it any further.
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