Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may have changed the fates of thousands of Ukrainian men by signing a law lowering the conscription age from 27 to 25 years. Journalists The New York Times talked with Ukrainian men who may be affected by the changes.
The publication notes that Ukrainian troops are trying to hold off a much larger Russian army, and are desperately in need of replenishment of their ranks. Now many young men are worried about their future.
“I’m worried, even a little afraid. But everything will be as God intended,” says 25-year-old Yegor Khomchenko, who runs a small bakery in Druzhkovka, Donetsk region.
Nestor Babsky, 23, a physiotherapist at a rehabilitation center in Lviv, works every day to rehabilitate Ukrainian soldiers crippled by the war. The guy feels guilty for not serving, but also admits to feeling afraid of what lies ahead.
“At first I was scared at the thought of going to war, but now I take it calmly,” he says, and explains that wounded soldiers, who he saw returning to a more or less normal life, played a role in changing his attitude towards participation in war.
Read also:
26-year-old Alexander Manchenko, a journalist from Kharkov, looks at this problem from a broader angle and has his own explanation for why President Zelensky finally signed this law after a long delay.
“Youth are the future, no matter how banal it may sound. Perhaps he thought that Ukraine could do without the mobilization of youth, but apparently the military situation does not allow us to have such a luxury,” Manchenko said, but he also admitted his reluctance get to the front.
However, there are those who are consciously preparing for the mobilization call. Among them is 27-year-old Maxim Sukhoi, a dental technician from Kyiv. He studies weapons and tactics at a weekend training camp and also goes to the gym.
“I need to be as professional as possible. If I go to war, I also want to be a professional there. Therefore, I am preparing for possible mobilization, as far as time and financial capabilities allow. If I find myself in war, I don’t want to be someone who does nothing knows,” he says.
Reducing the mobilization age in Ukraine
As UNIAN wrote, on the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine announced general mobilization. At the same time, men over 27 years of age or those who had completed military service were subject to compulsory conscription. Those who had no previous military experience and had not reached the age of 27 could mobilize at their own request.
Back in May 2023, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law reducing the mobilization age from 27 to 25 years. However, for almost a year this document gathered dust without the president’s signature, which means it could not come into force. Only on April 2, Vladimir Zelensky finally signed the bill.
You may also be interested in news:
2024-04-11 19:08:00
#Mobilization #age #young #men #admitted #presidents #decision
