Financial Times: Ukraine plans to mobilize 500 thousand military recruits

Ukraine is planning to mobilize 500,000 military recruits to demobilize the servicemen who have been on the front line for a long time.

The Financial Times reported on this with reference to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

The publication notes that most of the military, who have been on the front line without rotations and almost no vacations since 2022, are now very exhausted.

Such a long stay on the front line undermines the morale and motivation of many soldiers.

“Two years without a break, without rotation – of course, morale is low and it kills motivation,” said Illia, a soldier with the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces.

He noted that since 2022, he received only 25 days of leave and returned to the front line again.

“We need either a rotation or a regular vacation to get some rest,” he added.

The new law on mobilization aims to update the country’s legal framework ahead of this year’s expected wave of conscription, during which up to 500,000 citizens may be called up.

The Financial Times notes that the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine plans to draft at least the minimum number of 330,000 citizens to replace soldiers on the front line.

The rest of the military recruits will replace losses and cover other military needs depending on the situation on the battlefield.

Data released by the Parliamentary Committee on Economics indicates that out of 11.1 million Ukrainian men aged between 25 and 60, only about 3.7 million are eligible for mobilization.

Militarnyi previously reported that President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on the discharge of conscripts into reserve.

According to the decree of March 7, servicemen whose military service expired during martial law and was extended beyond the normal term will be discharged in April-May 2024.