Russian intelligence behind deadly Rivne draft office bombing, Ukraine's SBU claims
The revelation follows a series of attacks on military enlistment officers, including explosions at draft offices.
Mobilization
Explosion reported near Khmelnytskyi Oblast draft office — 1 killed, 4 injured
An explosion near a military enlistment office in Kamianets-Podilskyi in Khmelnytskyi Oblast on Feb. 5 left at least one person dead and four injured, Suspilne reported, citing a police spokesperson.
Russia proposes easing conscription rules for people with certain mental disorders, syphilis, NGO reports
Russia's Ministry of Defense has proposed changes to military medical examination rules that would simplify the conscription of individuals with psychosis, hypertension, and syphilis.
Syrskyi condemns recent violence against draft officers, calls for investigation
"In a short time, unfortunately, three shameful acts of violence occurred in different regions, in which servicemen were injured," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Man detained after allegedly killing draft officer in Ukraine's Poltava Oblast
The Poltava Oblast National Police detained a man who allegedly shot a draft officer, stole his weapon, and escaped with another man overnight on Jan. 31.
Mayor in Ukraine's Lviv Oblast fined for disrupting mobilization activities
Taras Kuchma, the mayor of Drohobych in Lviv Oblast, has been fined for interfering with mobilization efforts, Ukrainian media outlet Zaxid.net reported on Jan. 28.
'If half the people go home tomorrow, Putin will kill us all' — Zelensky defends mobilization
"If tomorrow, for example, half of the army just goes home, then we should have surrendered on the first day. That's the way it is. Because if half the people go home tomorrow, Putin will kill us all."
Russia approves conscription reforms to target draft evaders, streamline recruitment
Under the new legislation, draft board decisions for individuals deemed fit for service will remain valid for one year. This allows military commissions to send individuals to the army in subsequent drafts without requiring additional medical examinations or decisions.
Transfer of Ukrainian Air Force personnel to infantry continues despite scandal
The Ukrainian military command's plan to throw high-skilled Air Force personnel into the infantry was said to be halted when the practice gained nationwide attention, followed by a condemnation from President Volodymyr Zelensky. Soldiers, who spoke to the Kyiv Independent on conditions of anonymity, say, however, that nothing has changed,
Ukraine reforming recruitment system to attract 18-25-year-olds, senior official says
The move comes amid pressure from U.S. lawmakers to lower the draft age, though President Volodymyr Zelensky has opposed lowering it to 18, arguing it would harm Ukraine's future prospects.
Ukraine is failing the mobilization test
Ukrainian society largely does not want to mobilize. Nearly 6 million Ukrainian men have not updated their information in military enlistment centers, and most of them likely don't have grounds for a deferment or exemption. Forced mobilization of these men is categorically opposed by society. Rosy-cheeked aunts gather and shout
Ukraine Air Force specialists safe from transfer to infantry but mobilization issues remain, Syrskyi says
Reports last week indicated that since 2024, thousands of Air Force soldiers have been transferred to the Ground Forces.
Ukraine’s Emergency Service denies claims of mass mobilization, says 90% of staff are exempt
This denial follows opposition MP Oleksii Honcharenko's Telegram post alleging plans for widespread State Emergency Service mobilization after Feb. 28.
Equipping troops takes priority over lowering draft age, Zelensky says
Ukraine's immediate focus is on adequately equipping its military, rather than further reducing the draft age, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 14, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine's 47th Brigade releases video of 'massive' Russian attack repelled in Kursk Oblast
Key developments on Jan. 9: * Ukraine's 47th Brigade releases video of 'massive' Russian attack repelled in Kursk Oblast * 4,000 North Korean troops killed or wounded fighting against Ukraine, Zelensky claims * 'It would be crazy to drop the ball now' — Zelensky urges continued unity, support for Ukraine at Ramstein * Kyiv,
Ukraine offers defense industry jobs, draft exemptions for citizens abroad, minister says
"We have a shortage of professionals, and Ukraine is ready to exempt most of them from military service," Chernyshov said.
Ukrainians in Poland receive fake military summonses
Poland's Office for Foreigners, which the letter falsely attributes as the author, stressed that it did not issue the document and that its content is fake. Ukraine's Embassy in Warsaw also denied the document's authenticity.
Parliament proposes bill to allow male students free travel from Ukraine
The Verkhovna Rada is drafting a bill that will allow Ukrainian students enrolled in universities abroad to freely cross Ukraine's borders. Once entering the country from abroad, most male students currently cannot leave Ukraine again.
As US pushes Ukraine to lower conscription age, why won’t Kyiv draft younger men?
Editor's note: this article was updated to reflect incoming U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz's comments on the topic. When looking at Ukraine’s Armed Forces, there is one thing that stands out — it is made up predominantly of older men. Ukraine has never publicly released information about the
Russia’s wars, from Syria to Ukraine | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, host Anna Belokur dives into Russia’s withdrawal from Syria after the dictator Bashar al-Assad’s downfall, as well as a front line update from Ukraine and the controversy surrounding mobilizing younger men.
Ukraine won't trade young soldiers' lives for better weapons, Zelensky says
"The priority should be providing missiles and lowering Russia's military potential, not Ukraine's draft age. The goal should be to preserve as many lives as possible, not to preserve weapons in storage."
US says it's ready to train, arm new soldiers if Ukraine changes conscription policy
"We have made clear is that if (Ukraine) produces additional forces to join the fight, we and our allies will be ready to acquit those forces and train those forces to enter battle," U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Dec. 9.
Russia illegally drafted 5,500 residents of occupied Crimea in 2024, Kyiv says
Nearly 5,500 residents of Russian-occupied Crimea were mobilized into the Russian army in 2024, according to the report of the Mission of the President of Ukraine in Crimea, published on Dec. 4.
Ukraine has 'hard decisions' to make about further mobilization, Blinken says
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described mobilization as "critical" for Ukraine, adding that despite having funds and ammunition, people are needed to repel Russian aggression.
West provided enough aid for 2.5 brigades out of requested 10, Zelensky says
"They speak about mobilization, but the real problem [is] with 10 brigades which our partners didn't equip," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News published on Nov. 29.
Ukraine’s fight against Russian invasion undermined by draft-dodging graft
Heavy fighting on the front lines of Russia’s full-scale invasion, dragging out for almost three years, has left thousands of Ukrainian soldiers seriously injured or killed in action. Many still fighting for years along more than 600 miles of the front line in Ukraine’s east and south are
US urges Ukraine to lower draft age to 18 amid troop shortage, AP reports
The Biden administration is urging Ukraine to lower its draft age from 25 to 18 in an effort to increase troop numbers, the Associated Press reported on Nov. 27, citing an unnamed senior Biden administration official.
Parliament passes bill allowing first-time deserters to return to military service
The contracts of these soldiers will continue to be valid if they decide to return to their units.
Parliament passes bills on military service, including draft deferral for civilians released from captivity
The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed several bills on Nov. 20 considering mobilization and demobilization.
Defense Ministry pledges to draft bill on demobilization by Dec. 18, official says
It is not yet clear what conditions the Defense Ministry will propose for discharging military personnel from service, secretary of the parliamentary defense committee Roman Kostenko said.
Ukraine struggles to contain Russian advance in Donetsk Oblast as US elections loom
As voters in the U.S. head to the polls in presidential elections set to decisively steer the trajectory of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the situation on the battlefield is beginning to unravel for Kyiv. After two years of brutal attritional warfare across southern and eastern Ukraine, dynamism
Ukraine needs 500,000 more troops amid slowing mobilization, senior lawmaker says
Roman Kostenko, secretary of the parliamentary defense committee, stated on Nov. 2 that in his view it is necessary to mobilize 500,000 citizens, given current battlefield conditions.
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