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Ukraine’s President Lowers Draft Age As Death Toll Mounts

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – With thousands dying on the battlefields, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed legislation lowering the draft age from 27 to 25 to shore up the army’s dwindling forces over two years into the war with Russia.

Kyiv and Moscow have both faced heavy losses on the battlefield in Europe’s deadliest armed conflict since World War Two.

However, Russia has benefited from a significant advantage in manpower, according to military experts. On Wednesday, Russia’s defense ministry claimed more than 100,000 people had signed up to serve in the country’s armed forces since the start of the year.

Zelensky’s latest move will allow Ukraine to call up more people to replenish its reserves after volunteer numbers dropped.

He said in December that half a million more soldiers needed to be mobilized to prepare for expected massive fighting against invading Russian forces this summer.

The mobilization also comes as Kyiv suffered setbacks after Russian troops recently captured the strategic town of Avdiivka after bloody battles.

In February, Zelensky said 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, but U.S. officials estimate that 70,000 Ukrainians were killed and as many as 120,000 injured.

880,000 FORCES

In January 2024, Zelensky said Ukraine’s armed forces numbered 880,000, but critics noted that he did not specify how many were fighting on the more than 1,200 kilometers long (745 miles) frontline in the country’s southeast.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said more than 600,000 of his troops are fighting in Ukraine, but he has not revealed how many have lost their lives there.

A classified U.S. intelligence report released in December estimated that 315,000 Russian soldiers had been either killed or wounded since the war began.

Washington claims almost 90 percent of Russia’s military personnel were put out of action at the start of the invasion.

Kyiv says it urgently needs more military aid, prompting NATO military alliance foreign ministers in Brussels to discuss plans for a 100 billion euro ($108 billion) five-year fund to provide long-term military support for Ukraine.

Asked if the figure was correct, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the framework was yet to be decided but added that Ukraine needed more money for many years. “Make no mistake, Ukraine can rely on NATO support now and for the long haul,” he added.