Array
Ukraine has been under the gun for more than two years, and the constant Russian attacks have begun to wear on the Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.
Needing fresh conscripts for the fight, the Ukrainian legislature passed a bill that would govern how Ukrainians are called up for military service. Earlier this year, the eligible draft age was lowered from 27 to 25. How many of those new draft-eligible men will be called up has yet to be determined.
The new law is controversial. Citizens want Ukraine to win but don’t want their loved ones to go off and fight. But front-line troops have been fighting for two years without a break. There’s no regular rotation to take the exhausted troops off the frontline and give them a breather.
Originally, soldiers were going to be rotated home and demobilized after 36 months of service. However, the length and intensity of the war forced the defense department to scrap that plan. The draft law passed on Thursday will set up an electronic registry that will allow draft-eligible men to register online.
After President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signs it, those eligible for military service will have 60 days to register either in person or through the electronic system.
