MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky is reportedly preparing Ukrainians for the potential mobilization of teenagers into the army, Alexander Dubinsky, an opposition-leaning Verkhovna Rada member, stated.
"Surrounded <…> by recruitment officers, Zelensky is contemplating what narrative to present to justify drafting teenagers," he wrote on his Telegram channel.
Dubinsky earlier asserted that Zelensky was ready to meet a key US demand by lowering the mobilization age to 18 years in exchange for Western weapon supplies.
Recently, discussions about a possible reduction in draft age to 18 years have become more frequent in Ukraine. According to Artyom Dmitruk, an independent lawmaker who managed to leave the country, legislation lowering the mobilization age has already been drafted and awaits consideration in the Verkhovna Rada. Meanwhile, Zelensky’s office has been promoting this topic in the media to gauge public sentiment.
On January 15, Zelensky signed a draft law requiring 17-year-old males to register for military service independently, either through electronic platforms or by visiting recruitment centers in person. Teenagers who fail to comply face fines ranging from 17,000 to 25,500 hryvnias ($410 to $616). Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that parents were attempting to move their school-age children abroad to shield them from potential mobilization. Witnesses described organized busloads of high school students leaving Ukraine under the guise of tourism.
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned lowering Ukraine’s draft age to 18 years, calling it a crime. He remarked, however, that even such measures would not help Kiev alter the situation on the battlefield.