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Ukrainian Defense Ministry preparing to recruit young people over 18

In recent weeks, officials in the US administration have openly suggested that Ukraine should lower the draft age to bolster the frontlines

MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry will soon propose to the Verkhovna Rada special military service contracts for young adults aged 18-25 to address ongoing personnel shortages, the Ukrainian Telegraph news outlet reported.

According to the publication, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry is not ready to propose lowering the draft age to 18 but is exploring other options for enlisting young people into the army. These include introducing special incentive-based contracts for a period of one year, with additional payments for individuals aged 18-25 at the time of signing. Reportedly, these payments could reach 500,000 hryvnias ($12,000). The contract would also offer various benefits. After the one-year term, individuals under 25 years old may opt to leave the service if they choose not to renew their contract.

In recent weeks, officials in the US administration have openly suggested that Ukraine should lower the draft age to bolster the frontlines. However, reducing the mobilization age remains highly unpopular, and Ukrainian authorities maintain that there are no such plans. Kiev argues that Western nations are not supplying enough weapons for the already established brigades.

Currently, Ukraine is mobilizing men between the ages of 25 and 60. The draft age was previously lowered from 27 to 25 in April 2024. Despite this adjustment, the Ukrainian armed forces continue to face significant troop shortages. According to TASS, the Ukrainian armed forces have suffered over 900,000 casualties, including killed and wounded servicemen.

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