1y ago

Ukraine lowers its conscription age to 25 to plug a shortfall in troop numbers fighting Russia

Ukraine lowers its conscription age to 25 to replenish its beleaguered troops

Ukraine on Wednesday lowered the military conscription age from 27 to 25 in an effort to replenish its depleted ranks after more than two years of war following Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The new mobilization law came into force a day after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed it. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed it last year.

It was not immediately clear why Zelenskyy took so long to sign the measure into law. He didn’t make any public comment about it, and officials did not say how many new soldiers the country expected to gain or for which units.

Conscription has been a sensitive matter in Ukraine for many months amid a growing shortage of infantry on top of a severe ammunition shortfall that has handed Russia the battlefield initiative. Russia’s own problems with manpower and planning have so far prevented it from taking full advantage of its edge.

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1y ago

Ukraine lowers its conscription age to 25 to replenish its beleaguered troops

apnews.com /article/russia-ukraine-war-conscription-mobilization-251058a942a253f3eaec2c53373adf03

121 comments

If you're angry at Ukraine, you aren't looking or thinking deeply enough. This is only happening because Russia is trying to conquer Ukraine with their own conscripted soldiers. All of this ends when Russia stops their invasion.
You want the deaths to stop? Tell Putin to fuck himself with a rusty cactus and withdraw.
- Who's angry at Ukraine?
  
  Putin is, for some very bizarre reason of his own. That's about it I think.
- I was surprised the age wasn't lower to begin with. I was expecting it'd be 18.
  
  That's because both Ukraine and Russia are about to have a generation that is much smaller in numbers due to the lingering effects of WW2. Especially Ukraine is hesitant of throwing that generation into the meat grinder of war and it is speculated that this was one of the factors regarding the timing of this war, because in a way it was now or never for Russia.
- While Putin is undoubtedly an aggressor and the reason this entire thing is happening (and it would be amazing if someone finally stopped him), Zelensky does have power over the situation.
  It's just that he's not gonna give anything up as well, so it ends up in a stalemate. One side tries to prove Russia's a power to be reckoned with, the other - that you can't just attack a country while everyone is okay with it (something that has been then dispoven in many, many cases, unfortunately, so it's not as world-tilting as some might think)
  Out of two evils, Ukraine is certainly the more righteous. But there's a line after which you're fine fighting with a madman who'll be fine evaporating your entire population over something you might rather give up (and that's not the existence of Ukraine, mind you) to save countless lives.
  Zelensky has been offered to start peace talks by just about everyone in the world, not just Russian side itself, yet there he is, sending more and more men to war, men who don't want to be there, who are not ready to sacrifice their lives in this conflict, who value themselves more than some plots of land. When you have to force people to die in order to prove your point, maybe it's time to think again.
  And of course, Putin does the same thing over a much stupider cause; this is by no means a pro-Putin or even pro-Russian argument. This is an argument for life, for the people who die in the trenches, while world leaders can't decide who's more right. Fuck it, stop the war, and do the talking.
  P.S. Feel free to downvote if you like, but I'd be happy to see valid arguments, not just arrows down.
  
  Feel free to downvote if you like, but I’d be happy to see valid arguments, not just arrows down.
  Should Zelensky start talking about giving up territory he'd go the way of Yanukovych. Polls show that Ukrainians would keep fighting even if all support from the west were to dry up.
  This is not about land. It's about the people living here and the survival of Ukraine as a nation. Which btw includes Russian native speakers, Zelensky himself is one.
  Moscow's version of peace is "you roll over and stop defending yourself so I have an easier time kicking you". Making "peace" with Russia only means 10000 Buchas. Western pacifists falling for that line are some of the most fatuous people I've ever witnessed, to the point that I don't make a distinction between Russian asset and useful idiot, any more.
  
  Just curious, what do you think should be on the table at the peace talks?
  For me, it should be the following:
  Russia leaves Ukraine including Crimea and vows to never invade again. I know it didn't work when Ukraine gave up their nukes for the same vow but one can hope.
  Russia pays Ukraine back for all the damage it has done. They were the aggressors, they need to pay up.
  All prisoners who were taken to Russia, including children, are to be returned.
  No interference if Ukraine wants to join NATO and the EU.
  I'm not an expert in peace talks, but I feel the above is fair.
  
  If you were the one who has "power over the situation", please tell us: Which parts of your country would you be willing to hand over to Putin, when he comes asking for them?
  
  Not commenting on the main things you said, but it's also very likely that america specifically is taking this as an opportunity to test and drain russia's resources in a kind of extended proxy war, so there's really no incentive to make a concerted effort to stop the current state of affairs, in any way. Especially as we're seen as the good guys domestically, you know, it's a pretty easy thing to garner support for.
  
  Here's an argument: there is no peace with Putin's Russia ever. This isn't the first time Putin has invaded Ukraine. He has proven time and again that "peace" with him is just a timeout while he re-arms. Then he bites off another chunk and goes "Why do you keep fighting? Don't you want peace, you monster?"
Interesring that it's already so high, don't most countries have conscription at 18?
- Few countries have demographics so fucked up as Ukraine. It's the same "WWII generation can't have kids on account of being dead" and "everyone got scared of their future prospects when the USSR fell and people are too well-educated to bring kids into an uncertain future" double-dip that also Russia suffers from, though Ukraine has an even lower fertility rate, 1.16 vs. 1.49, and overall that wasp waist is way more pronounced, here's Russia. Ukraine is also losing plenty of working population to the EU, has way before people began to flee the invasion. The drain is on well-educated people, people coming to the EU as seasonal workers in agriculture etc. rather funnel money back to Ukraine.
  The situation would be a catastrophe of Korean proportions if Ukrainians managed to be as in denial about the situation as Koreans are, but they're not. It's still severely fucked, though¹.
  The size of the cohorts that now got added is in comparison tiny, as you see, and I'd be surprised if they're sending them to the front. It's going to be training in all that newfangled western stuff and stand-off warfare for them, not the trenches.
  ¹ I can't help but ask: It is said that one of the main cultural differences between Germany and Austria is that in Germany, bad situations are serious but not hopeless while in Austria they're hopeless, but not serious. What's Ukraine's take?
  
  Was curious how the US stacked up and wow, that's a huge difference! Interesting to see the Boomer Hershey's Kiss shape at the top.
This is rough, I can't even imagine the situation. We need to give Ukraine absolutely everything they need to win this war as quickly as possible with the least amount of casualties possible. Shame on those playing politics with this.
- You mean the conservative republicans within the US government? Might as well name and shame here.
  https://www.politico.eu/article/us-republicans-shameful-blocking-ukraine-aid-australia-tony-abbott/
  
  Yeah, anything less than pointing the finger at the one side actually causing issues is just mealy mouthed both sides bullshit.
- Our goal should be to give Ukraine triple what they need. Absolutely overwhelming power to drive Russia back and burn a few miles of its territory to the ground.
  Long term, this minimizes loss of life. But we gotta think long term. The question should be “what will keep Russia from doing this again for a hundred years?”
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Conscription has been a sensitive matter in Ukraine for many months amid a growing shortage of infantry on top of a severe ammunition shortfall that has handed Russia the battlefield initiative.
Some Ukrainians worry that taking young adults out of the workforce will backfire by further harming the war-ravaged economy, but the problem reportedly has become acute as Kyiv girds for an expected summer offensive by the Kremlin’s forces.
Russia’s population is more than three times as large as Ukraine’s, and President Vladimir Putin has shown a willingness to force men to the front if not enough volunteer.
The need for a broad mobilization to beef up the number of Ukrainian troops reportedly was one of the areas of disagreement between Zelenskyy and Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the popular commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces whom the president replaced in February.
Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, “sees daily humiliation and pain” from unrelenting Russian aerial attacks.
Russian attacks all across the country are “wreaking havoc,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in an appeal for Ukraine’s Western partners to supply more air defense systems.
The original article contains 619 words, the summary contains 187 words. Saved 70%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
What happened to 'war over in 2 weeks?' The worlds largest military and all of Europe providing weapons and its gone nowhere, except into the pockets of war hawks. At this point it should be considered a long con
- The quick war narrative was originally coined by Russian media, though. Not Ukrainian one, and neither of the governments said that.
  
  The US government claimed that, with constant gaslighting bullshit like Putin has cancer, fighting with WWII shovels, their economy in shambles, etc.
- Armed resistance against a former colonizer trying to reassert colonial power is never a long con.
- What happened to 'war over in 2 weeks?'
  Who said that , when, and why do you care?
- It is absolutely a long con.
  I feel bad for the Ukrainian cannon fodder that actually believed they had a chance.
  Their purpose was to weaken Russia and strengthen profits for the Western MIC.
  
  I almost went over there and fought Russia. I’m really glad I didn’t now.
  I suspect I will be fighting Russia or its allies within a few years anyway, and I’d much rather be wearing the uniform of my own country.
Go all in and lower it to 16
- I suppose you would prefer Kyiv to be a provincial capital of Russia?
  
  Not OP, but I, for one, would rather see that than a bunch of kids dying in the trenches. But better yet, secure the current border, start ceasefire and do the talking. Ukraine did gain leverage enough not to give up Kyiv or its statehood, something that was seen even by the way Russia approached peace talk suggestions over the months of the war.
Maybe they can draft those brave Americans and Europeans to come fight for them.
- There have been volunteers from those places, so this isn't the dunk you think it is
  
  Wow a few volunteers. Meanwhile tens of thousands of Ukrainian men are forcibly thrown into the meat grinder while people wave on enthusiastically with their flag sending them into their deaths.
- I'm incredibly disappointed in you. I thought you were better than this. You wouldn't say "maybe they can draft those brave leftists to protect Palestinians", would you?
  Russia and Israel are both trying to conduct genocide and conquer land, with different degrees of success. I expected you to be anti genocide no matter the situation. I'm disappointed to see it's just "opposite of the US" for you.
  I didn't agree with most of your takes, but I thought you were principled and they at least made me think. Guess I was wrong.
  
  Yes voluntarily. A draft is FORCED. This is not about wanting to defend your own country this is about being forced into the meat grinder.
  Zelensky recently replaced his top army general that said they were in a stalemate and now they have a guy nicknamed "the butcher".
  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wanted to give his military a shakeup by appointing General Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief: many of his troops reacted with despair.
  “Syrskyi will kill us all,” said one soldier, who like others in this story spoke on condition of being granted anonymity.
  That was highlighted by Syrskyi overseeing last year's dogged nine-month defense of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian troops suffered high casualties against relentless "meat waves" of Russian attackers before having to abandon the eastern city. That earned him the gruesome nickname of "Butcher."
- Everyone who disagrees with this Tankie: Remember to vote for Biden so Ukraine and Palestine are both able to survive their respective genocides.
  
  Biden is currently President. What is he going to do in a second term that he couldn’t have done in his first to end this?
- We're busy using our tax dollars to equip them and keeping our troops where they won't start a nuclear war.
  
  You mean giving them enough to stabilize the line, but not enough to push it back into Russia? For fear that would trigger nuclear war?
- We're busy yanking our dicks to our lord and savior Donald Jesus Trump.
- Best I can do is make my avatar yellow and blue and post "SLAVA UKRAINI" from time to time.
- I've actually considered joining the foreign legion. The commander seems fucking sketchy and not very brilliant strategically, that unnecessary risks his men. It wouldn't be a terrible idea to actually have nato commanders directing back line logistics and training.
- I've met a bunch of Ukrainians online that just want the war done. They don't care who wins. They're seeing their family and friends die and they just want it to stop.
  People seem to forget that this thing started because two oblasts didn't want to be part of Ukraine anymore. Russia escalated it for sure, but it still started as a separatist movement inside Ukraine.
  
  this thing started because two oblasts didn't want to be part of Ukraine anymore.
  Bullshit.
  
  Russia is just helping those who want to leave leave yes that’s the ticket. The best way to do this is to try to decapitate the country’s leadership with a full scale invasion that includes devastating its infrastructure affecting millions of civilian lives.
  Yes
  
  Pretty sure they will care who wins when they get shipped off to Russian labor camps or sent to the front lines for whatever shit putin decides to invade next. I feel for their losses of loved ones but that's a pretty dumb take.
  
  Polls show that Ukrainians overwhelmingly want to fight Russia off. ~~You're~~Your "bunch of Ukrainians online" was probably Kremlin shills.

121 comments