Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine

Ukraine Negotiating Plans to Draft 18-Year-Olds With US - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine has been negotiating plans with the United States to lower the mobilization age from 25 to 18, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tyhy said on Thursday.
Sputnik
Media reported on Wednesday, citing a senior White House official, that the US was urging Ukraine to start drafting men as young as 18 to address the gaping shortage of manpower.

"I can confirm that this topic is being discussed at the negotiations. I can refute that it is becoming a source of tension ... Yes, we are discussing this. And I would say that Ukraine usually initiates these discussions," Tyhy told a news briefing.

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Ukraine has been updating its partners on the levels of mobilization, the provision of weapons, strategies, defense and sanctions, he added.
Tykhyi argued that Kiev did not see the scale of mobilization as the main problem. He insisted that Ukrainian armed forces lacked weapons to arm those already drafted.
Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law in April to lower the conscription age from 27 to 25, prompting a public outcry. The government said in August that it had no plans to drop the draft age lower. A Ukrainian lawmaker said in September that the army had banned recruiting citizens under 25, who previously had the "fit for limited military service" status.
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