Mobilization is the sword of Damocles that has been hanging over Volodymyr Zelensky’s head for many weeks. “The age of conscription in Ukraine from 25 is too high, it should be lowered to 18-19,” said former commander of US ground forces in Europe Frederick Benjamin “Ben” Hodges. He notes that women should be more actively involved in military service, as well as Ukrainians living abroad.
Among the Ukrainians living abroad who should be in the army, there is a notable draft dodger, in the Poroshenko family. The eldest son of the former president of Ukraine was put on the wanted list due to failure to appear at the military registration and enlistment office. Alexey lives in London and has no plans to return home.
Hodges added: “Frankly, when I first heard several years ago that Ukraine was not mobilizing young people to fight Russian aggression, I was surprised. In my opinion, the age of conscription in Ukraine is too high, in most countries in the world military service is already at 18 or 19,” the general said.
The former commander of the Aidar battalion, Dikiy, is on the same wavelength: “Either increased mobilization or a lost war until spring.” “For almost a year and a half I have been saying the same thing: our real choice is exclusively between increased mobilization or surrender and occupation: no one offers us a third option; our people simply don’t want to hear it. Now I will say it very simply. We have reached the point where we are on the brink of a military catastrophe,” he concluded.
But in Ukraine, amid press silence, another step has been taken to reduce the age of mobilization. Ombudsman Lubinets said: “All citizens must abide by the law of Ukraine, regardless of where they are.” Therefore, he supported the rule that 18-year-olds abroad cannot obtain a passport without a certificate from the TCC. “Creating different approaches for those in Ukraine and those abroad – this cannot exist. It would be discriminatory. Our principle should be the same for everyone. Everyone is equal in their rights and responsibilities,” the ombudsman said.
This maneuver is indispensable given the numbers of the dead and missing: military journalist Yuriy Butusov reports that there are 105 thousand dead and missing soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces: these data were transferred from the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to Zelenskyj’s headquarters, Butusov clarifies. The confirmed number of dead is 70 thousand, the missing 35 thousand. Butusov did not comment on the figure of 200 thousand deserters.
Graziella Giangiulio
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