On Wednesday United States suggested to Ukraine that it should consider it lowering the age of military service for its soldiers to 18. This information was provided by Reuters, citing one of the senior officials of the US administration.
Let us remind you that in April this year Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law that established the draft age reduced from 27 to 25 years. The new suggestion put forward by Kiev's biggest ally was commented on, among others, by: Ukrainian officer.
War in Ukraine. 18-year-olds to the front?
According to Andriy Kryvushchenko, the meaning of the fight against the occupier is not only to conduct military operations and maintain one's positions or not to lose territories, but also to “preserve the nation”. – We cannot send an entire nation to the front lineso that those we defend and must save are not missing, he said.
The officer of the operational planning and combat section of the Swoboda battalion pointed out that after the war ends, it will have to be rebuilt in some way Ukrainewhich would be useful for young people, for example.
– It will also require bright young minds who are currently undergoing training, who will learn, become specialists and effectively they will lift our country from its knees after such difficult over 10 years of fighting for our independence – said Kryvushchenko, referring to the events of 2014 on Maidan. As he emphasized, not only economic but also social reconstruction will be needed.
– This is why I see no reason to rush into mobilizing 18-year-olds – he pointed out.
Mobilization in Ukraine. Military analyst skeptical about US suggestion
He also commented on the US proposal to lower the draft age for Ukrainian citizens military analyst Denys Popovichwho expressed a different position than the one presented by the officer. Referring to the data available to the army, he emphasized that young people are needed on the front.
– A man over 45 years of age, not to mention those over 50 years of age, of whom there are many at the front, cannot fully perform the duties assigned to infantry soldiers due to his physical abilities. And that's it the infantry bears the burden of fighting in the field – Popowycz explained, emphasizing that it was also about, among others, about carrying heavy equipment.
The military analyst also pointed out that there is a difference between the physical fitness of people aged 20-25and people over 40 years of age, which they are “perfectly aware of”. In addition, there are also chronic diseases.
According to Popovych, 18, as the age of mobilization proposed by the US, is “probably too young”. – 20-22 years old, 25 years old – a person then has a completely different consciousness. Unless you volunteer and want to go to war at 18, then that's a different matter. But for mobilization, it is quite possible that this will not be enough – he said.
The analyst also said that whether younger people will go to the front than the law recently signed by Zelensky assumes depends on how long the war will last. – If the war lasts another year, two years, three years, then we will all be mobilized in one way or another. We have to be prepared for this, said Popowycz.