Ukraine lowers military draft age from 27 to 25 to streamline mobilisation process
The Ukrainian president has signed a bill to lower the age of mobilisation from 27 to 25 in a move to make the army draft more efficient.
Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed the amendment to the law on mobilisation in May 2023, but Volodymyr Zelensky had not signed it until now, taking almost a year to do so.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has been under martial law, rendering conscription inapplicable as the country entered mobilisation mode.
How does conscription differ from mobilisation and why is it important?
Conscription is the mandatory legal obligation to serve in the country's military.
After completion of their military service, the person becomes a reserve, to be called upon in a state of war or emergency.
While conscription prepares a country to defend itself in the event of a threat or an invasion, mobilisation is the rapid gathering of troops for combat readiness when the situation becomes critical.
The amendment to lower the conscription age in the law on mobilisation was registered in the Ukrainian parliament on 9 May 2023, coinciding with the celebrations of VE Day in post-Soviet countries.
Russia, on the other hand, has raised its conscription age from 27 to 30 to boost numbers on the frontline, starting from 2024.
In July of last year, Russia's parliament voted to raise the maximum age at which men can be conscripted to increase the number of men liable for a year of compulsory military service.
Since President Putin announced Russia's 'special military operation' in the early hours of 24 February 2022, the military has relied on conscripts and 'contract soldiers' or 'kontraktniki' as they are called in Russia.
In September 2022, seven months into the war, Russia announced a partial mobilisation of military reservists but never declared martial law or full-scale mobilisation to keep up with frontline demands.
For Ukraine, the full-scale invasion immediately shifted the situation from the ongoing war in the east of the country to full-fledged warfare, prompting the implementation of martial law in February 2024.
Mobilisation under martial law means that any age-appropriate able-bodied man regardless of his military experience can be called up to fight for his country.
This means that not only currently serving military personnel, reserves and volunteers can go to war. Anyone can be drafted, provided they are of the right sex and age.
Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are eligible for military service and have been forbidden from leaving the country since February 2024.
Certain exemptions apply, including individuals with disabilities and fathers of three or more children.
The average age of Ukraine's soldiers is estimated to be 43.
How does reducing the number of men subject to conscription help the war effort?
Reducing the number of men subject to conscription can boost frontline numbers by ensuring that only those who are most immediately available and not necessarily military-trained are available in times of war.
Crucially, it saves the Verkhovna Rada money that is desperately needed amidst a shortage of ammunition supplies and the delays of vital funding from the US.
Verkhovna Rada's explanatory note said that in the context of martial law, where conscription is not applicable, maintaining a large pool of conscripts on the military register becomes inefficient.
"The long stay of citizens on the military register of conscripts during martial law is considered inappropriate, taking into account the fact that a significant number of citizens suitable for military service, who do not have the status of conscripts, cannot be involved in military service by conscription during mobilisation, for a special period," the document states.
Previously, able-bodied men aged 18 would be conscripted unless they had special exemptions or deferments. They would stay on the conscription register until the age of 27.
The explanatory note went on to explain that the majority of young Ukrainian men receive a deferment from conscription for military service when they reach the age of 18, to pursue further education.
Their education typically lasts four to six years, varying with the level of higher education pursued, such as completing a bachelor's degree followed by a master's, concluding around the ages 22 to 24.
If the maximum age for conscription is lowered to 25 years, conscription boards will have one to three years to enlist Ukrainian citizens for military service.
The note explained that the yearly visits to recruitment centres to confirm draft deferments and undergo medical exams lead to significant financial costs.
Reducing the age limit for citizens to be on the military register of conscripts from 27 to 25, as proposed in the draft law, aims to optimise military readiness by ensuring a more efficient use of manpower resources.
By focusing on a younger demographic, the armed forces can maintain a more agile and capable frontline, enhancing overall military preparedness while minimising the financial burden associated with maintaining citizens on the military register of conscripts until the age of 27.
The process of mobilisation is streamlined, ensuring a quicker and more effective response to military needs during wartime.
Controversy
The amendment to the law 'On Military Duty and Military Service' was developed at the initiative of Valerii Zaluzhny, the then Commander-in-Chief, to reduce the age limit for citizens to be on the military register of conscripts from 27 to 25.
At the beginning of 2024, Mr Zaluzhny argued that the Ukrainian army needed another 500,000 soldiers.
Aleksandr Syrskyi, the new head of the Ukrainian armed forces, stated last week that the figure was outdated and had been "substantially decreased" following a resource evaluation.
It has been reported that disagreement regarding the conscription age was a contributing reason for Mr Zelensky's dismissal of Mr Zaluzhny in February.
Having waited a year to sign the amendment into law, it is unclear what prompted Mr Zelensky to do so this week.
As the full-scale invasion entered its third year, Ukraine has experienced a marked decline in volunteer fighters, alongside numerous reports of mobilisation evasion.
President Zelensky has also signed another bill requiring men who were given military waivers on disability grounds to undergo another medical assessment, making it harder to dodge the draft.
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