Ukraine Could Draft In All Men under 60 to Fight Russia
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Kiev's top draft officer said in a statement to local media on Monday that Ukraine would continue mobilization efforts despite its conflict with Russia and added that call-up papers might be given to anybody under 60 who is qualified for military duty anywhere.
Speaking to Ukraine’s TSN news outlet, Colonel Yuri Maksimov, who heads Kiev City Recruitment and Social Support Center, said that while Ukraine has reached “the highest stage of mobilization,” its military still needs to bring its personnel up to full strength.
“All men under the age of 60 who are liable for military service should expect to be served with draft papers,” he said, reminding that those who attempt to dodge conscription may face up to five years in prison.
The draft officer projected that mobilization would extend into the next year. “While we are at war, we must ensure that we have personnel not only for defense but also for the offensive to liberate our territories,” he said.
Maksimov also insisted that the nation’s legislation implies that the draft papers could be handed to Ukrainians in any location. “There are no prohibitions on where the military summons can be served,” he stressed.
In late September, Mikhail Podoliak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, said that Kiev would not announce an additional military mobilization for now, given that Ukraine had already “created reserves through the territorial defense system.”
After Russia launched its military campaign against Ukraine in late February, both nations called up new troops to boost their militaries. However, while Moscow embarked on a partial mobilization in September with plans to enroll a total of 300,000 reservists, Kiev ordered general mobilization immediately after large-scale hostilities broke out. In May, Alexey Reznikov, the Ukrainian defense minister, said that the military plans to call up one million people.
