Ukraine commander alarmed as army ages

Ukrainian forces opened fire on Russian positions (Photo: AFP).

Aleksey Tarasenko, commander of the 5th Assault Brigade, said the Ukrainian army was in dire need of younger recruits as the average age of its soldiers was over 40.

Speaking to Espresso TV on January 14, Mr. Tarasenko said he felt "strange and confused" when he learned that some Ukrainians were skeptical about the need to mobilize more troops.

"The army is waiting for new personnel because the situation in many units is very serious. Most of the soldiers are old men with a lot of problems that can arise," he explained.

The army badly needed “young men” because those who had enlisted at the start of the conflict had mostly “left,” he said, adding that the average age of soldiers was over 40.

This number has increased significantly after 2 years. According to the Financial Times , the average age of Ukrainian soldiers in March 2022 was 30-35.

Mr Tarasenko's remarks came after the Ukrainian parliament asked the government to amend a bill to expand the criteria for men to be able to join military service.

The proposed bill would lower the maximum military age from 27 to 25, limit deferments and increase penalties for draft dodgers.

The draft also adds provisions for conscription via email and through employers. Currently, conscripts can only be summoned by mail, through a representative of the local military recruitment agency or through the police.

Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country was considering a request from the military to recruit 500,000 new recruits.

Ukraine saw tens of thousands of men volunteer to fight in the first months of Russia's special military operation, but that wave has waned in nearly two years of full-scale conflict.

Late last year, Mikhail Podoliak, a top aide to the Ukrainian president, acknowledged that the country would have difficulty mobilizing its forces to fight against Russia in the future. He said that Ukraine would change its propaganda campaign to attract more recruits in the coming time.

The head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency, Kirill Budanov, has admitted that Ukrainians forced into military service are not performing very effectively on the battlefield.

However, he stressed that Ukraine would still have to take tough measures to recruit troops and declared that no one would be able to bypass the mobilization order.

In recent months, Ukrainian officials have stepped up efforts to recruit new frontline troops, going directly to gyms, shopping malls, restaurants and public places to issue summonses to men they encounter.

This measure has caused controversy because it is quite tough, however, Ukraine believes that this is necessary for them to maintain their combat capability against Russia and compensate for losses after many months of fighting.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/chi-huy-ukraine-bao-dong-vi-quan-doi-ngay-cang-gia-di-20240115150705324.htm