Russia-Ukraine war: US reportedly pressing Kyiv to reduce drafting age from 25 to 18

The Biden administration is reportedly urging Ukraine to lower its military draft age from 25 to 18. This push is aimed at addressing Kyiv’s manpower shortages in its ongoing conflict with Russia.

AP cited a senior Biden administration official as saying that the outgoing Democratic administration wants Ukraine to lower the mobilisation age to help expand the pool of fighting age men available for Ukraine’s armed forces.

The country is severely outmanned in its nearly three-year-old war with Russia. The official said “the pure math” of Ukraine’s situation now is that it needs more troops in the fight.

Second time’s the charm?

Ukraine has already reduced its conscription age due to the war once.

In April 2024, Ukraine reduced its conscription age from 27 to 25 to bolster its forces. Despite this measure, the Ukrainian military continues to face significant personnel challenges.

More from World

Nepal's new PM pays homage to people died during the Gen Z protest in her first national address This Week in Explainers: How recovering from Gen-Z protests is a Himalayan task for Nepal

For over two and a half years, Russia’s relentless offensive has severely depleted many Ukrainian units. Reinforcements are scarce, leaving some soldiers exhausted and demoralised.

The situation is especially critical for infantry units near Pokrovsk and along the eastern front, where Ukraine is struggling to halt Russia’s gradual advances, CNN reported.

By expanding the pool of eligible conscripts to include 18-year-olds, Ukraine could potentially increase its military strength.

Russia also facing manpower shortage

It’s not just Ukraine that is trying to waddle through a shortage of troops, though. Russia, too, has been doling out incentives to boost recruitment.

The September 2022 “partial mobilisation” prompted widespread panic, leading tens of thousands of men to flee Russia. To sidestep another such backlash, the Kremlin has focused on voluntary recruitment, incentivising enlistment with a variety of financial measures.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

Most recently, President Vladimir Putin signed a law granting debt forgiveness to individuals who enlist to fight in Ukraine.

The legislation, published on a government website Saturday (November 23), allows recruits and their spouses to write off bad debts of up to 10 million rubles ($96,000).

With inputs from AP