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29 Jan, 08:28

Kiev unable to encourage youth to join Ukrainian military — lawmaker

The lower age limit for mobilization in Ukraine is currently 25, although volunteer military service is available for men starting from 18 years old

MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. The Ukrainian authorities have been struggling to motivate the older generation to join the army, let alone the youth, Ruslan Gorbenko, a Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) member from the ruling Servant of the People party, said on the Novosti Live TV channel.

"It is crucial to improve the quality to avoid the bitter experience we have already witnessed on the front, where soldiers with no combat experience were sent to the frontline and suffered losses. We haven’t yet exhausted the potential of those over 25, but we haven't even figured out how to motivate these older servicemen. And how are we going to motivate young soldiers?" he said.

Earlier, Zelensky’s National Security Advisor Nikolay Shchur said that Ukraine would soon introduce amendments to laws on the draft of men aged 18-25. According to the advisor, this would allow males between the ages of 18 and 25 who are not subject to mobilization to voluntarily sign contracts. He noted that they would be "rewarded, including financially," for doing so. The lower age limit for mobilization in Ukraine is currently 25, although volunteer military service is available for men starting from 18 years old.