Ukraine's diminished forces boost recruitment and proposal to lower draft age

The Ukrainian government will seek to change its recruitment rules, potentially including a change to age requirements, to strengthen the army against the Russian invasion.

“This law is necessary for the defense of our State and all soldiers currently on the front,” argued Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, in favor of the legislative change. “It needs to be approved as soon as possible.”

“Our team has already prepared a new version of the bill, taking into account all the proposals agreed in the order of work with parliamentarians at the meetings of the committee on national security, defense and intelligence,” Umerov added.

The previous draft of the bill did not receive full approval, leading to its repeal. Umerov said in a Facebook post that the bill took “half a year in a working group” with representatives from all government factions to draft.

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“After registering the bill in Parliament, we participated in closed-door debates and meetings and explained the need for this debate,” Umerov said. “All warnings have been heard and taken into account.”

Umerov explained that the bill would allow the Ukrainian military to rotate forces, insisting that troops “must have the opportunity to rest,” and calling delays in the process “unacceptable.”

“Warriors who were released from captivity should be given the option to remain in the military. Those who choose to stay will need at least a few months of leave. That's fair,” he wrote. “Conscripted soldiers should finally be allowed to return home. That's fair.”

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One of the key points of controversy in the bill would seek to reduce the minimum age for recruitment from 27 to 25 years along with electronic calls and punishments for those who do not respond appropriately to the call.

Ukrainian artillery teams fire on Russian troop positions in Bakhmut, Ukraine. (Madeleine Kelly/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The new draft indicates that mobilizations will be limited to 36 months and will include exemptions for potential recruits from higher education or specialized fields.

Ukrainians participated heavily at the beginning of the conflict, registering in large numbers that kept the fighting force strong. Stories told how even older women had signed up for military training to repel Russia's invasion.

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As the second year of the conflict began, Kiev promoted its spring and summer counteroffensive, but the effort did not produce the expected results, leading many to question the future of the conflict and resist new plans to finance and equip Ukraine. with no clear end in sight to the conflict.

Ukrainian servicemen ride atop an armored fighting vehicle on Tuesday as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues at an unknown location in eastern Ukraine. (Press service of the Ukrainian Land Forces/Handout via REUTERS)

Ukrainians have begun asking the same question as the government pushes to expand its forces: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his year-end conference revealed that military officials have called for an increase from 450,000 to 500,000 recruits, NPR reported.

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Zelenskyy declined to endorse the order without more information, citing concerns about the high economic cost of mobilizing such a recruiting effort. General Valeriy Zaluzhny, head of Ukraine's armed forces, days later denied any specific number requested, but criticized the recruiting offices.

Reuters contributed to this report.