For nearly three years, Ukraine has fought to defend its land against Russian forces.
The war has tested the country’s military strength, economy, and the resilience of its people.
As the conflict drags on, Ukraine faces a growing challenge: keeping enough soldiers on the battlefield.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has defended his government’s efforts to mobilize more troops, saying it is the only way to force Russia to end the war.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Foglio, he explained that a strong military presence is necessary to bring Ukrainian soldiers home safely.
Only those over 25 are eligible for the draft.
Ukraine has struggled with manpower shortages since the full-scale invasion began.
A revised mobilization law, passed in April 2024, was designed to speed up the process of identifying eligible recruits, according to Digi24.
It also introduced penalties for those who try to avoid military service. Even with these changes, recruitment slowed in late 2024, leaving exhausted front-line units to resist Russian advances with fewer reinforcements.
Under martial law, Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 cannot leave the country. At the moment, only those over 25 are eligible for the draft.
The government is now working on policies to encourage voluntary enlistment for younger citizens, particularly those between 18 and 25.
Zelensky rejected the idea of lowering the minimum draft age to 18, despite pressure from the United States to do so.
He acknowledged that the military needs to improve policies regarding rotation and leave for soldiers, admitting that the current system does not provide enough rest for troops.
"If half of our army were to go home tomorrow, we would have had to surrender on the first day," Zelensky said. "That is the reality. If half of our soldiers left, Putin would kill us all."
The Ukrainian army remains outnumbered in certain areas of the front. Russian forces have managed to take territory in the east, suffering heavy losses in the process.
Some Ukrainian officials have faced criticism for the way recruitment has been handled, including accusations that trained Air Force personnel have been transferred to infantry units.
