Ukraine is finalizing reforms to attract 18- to 25-year-olds, currently exempt from mobilization, into enlisting voluntarily into the armed forces, Deputy Head of the President's Office Pavlo Palisa said to the Associated Press on Jan. 24.
Palisa said Ukraine is exploring new recruitment options because the current drafting system, inherited from Soviet times, is outdated and inefficient.
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.
"We need to adapt the structure to the logic of modern warfare, which will allow us to be more effective and prevent us from making the same mistakes repeatedly," Palisa said.
Elsa Court
One key initiative is an "honest contract," which offers financial incentives, training guarantees, and improved communication between soldiers and commanders.
"To secure the unit commander and the contract soldier, establish open and professional relations between them, and set clear boundaries that are understandable to both," Palisa said.
The updates to Ukraine's mobilization law, adopted in mid-April 2024, simplified the process for identifying eligible conscripts and introduced penalties for draft dodgers.
The new legislation also lowered the minimum age of compulsory military service from 27 to 25.
Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are barred from leaving the country under martial law, but only those over 25 are eligible for the draft.
Russian forces significantly outnumber Ukrainian units in some parts of the front and have been able to advance at record rates in eastern Ukraine while absorbing heavy losses.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
