Ukraine lowers combat call-up age to boost numbers | BBC News

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zalinski signed a bill lowering the draft age in Ukraine by two years, to 25. The mobilization has become a divisive issue in Ukraine, which is exhausted after two years of war and big losses. Well, let's talk live with Alexa Kareno, who is a member of the Ukrainian military. Parliament joins us live from Adessa. Thank you very much for being here on the program. Your reaction to this now becoming law. First of all. Hello, and this law was voted in Parliament almost 11 months ago. It was finally signed. Yes, Ukraine. needs mobilization, it is clear, but at the same time Ukraine also needs demobilization because some people who are already fighting for the third year and are civilians in their previous life cannot fight forever and a very important issue is determining the period of service or soldiers Ukrainians and those who want to be changed after, for example, two years of struggle, should be changed, yes, so this is a big question that is now being discussed in the Ukrainian Society, what should mobilization be like, what should demobilization be like .

Let's get back to the broader reaction in a moment, but how many additional soldiers will this really provide? Because in December President Zinski spoke of the need for half a million more, today President Zinski said that we do not need half a million. I will not tell you how many more will be mobilized at the AG age conscripted at the age of 25 26 years. I don't know, but we are definitely talking about thousands of people, but what is very important is that we cannot fight with Russia by

numbers

we will mobilize half a million they will mobilize 1 million who will mobilize 1 million they will mobilize two they are a much larger country and with a much larger manpower so for us the most important thing is to have modern and effective weapons from our allies to have an intelligent response strategy intelligent tactics only with these we should win or there is no other way for us, but let's put those two thoughts together because in terms of public support for this, where are we?

Because you have had President Seninsky even in the last few days speaking. once again, the lack of weapons from the West, the lack of air cover, the probable Russian attack in May and June. Ordinary families would be alarmed at sending their 25-year-old sons to war, if they didn't, surely and definitely, that's a difficult subject. and everyone who wanted to go fight voluntarily did so in 2022, so now we are talking about people who do not want to fight, but today they do, some understand that they need to fight to protect their country, some try. To avoid this, this is also a reality, so my personal position is that we need to have a very clear and simple system when it is absolutely clear, for example, 18 months of service.

You definitely know how much more alone you will serve. You know you will have rotations. You won't be on the front lines all the time, you know you'll have vacations and all this, but once again I really want to address you and those who are listening to us and watching us now. Ukraine needs help in weapons, now in ammunition. Now we do not lack people but we lack support from our partners who promised to be with us as long as necessary and now it is not happening