**Ukraine to Introduce “Special Contracts” for Young Volunteers**
The Ukrainian military is planning to introduce special contracts for young volunteers who are not required to join the army. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with Reuters on February 7.
**Lowering the Draft Age?**
This comes after reports that US lawmakers and NATO allies have been urging Ukraine to lower its draft age from 25 to 18 to address manpower shortages. Currently, men aged 25-60 are required to join the army. Zelensky said that the military is working on a contract option for young people aged 18-24.
**Benefits of the Contracts**
These special contracts will have many benefits, including a high monetary provision. The president said that the details of these contracts will be made public in the coming days. He also emphasized that this is not a form of mobilization, but rather an opportunity for those who want to join up.
**Addressing Manpower Shortages**
The US has been advocating for lowering the conscription age as part of broader efforts to address Ukraine’s personnel needs at war with Russia. Michael Waltz, Trump’s National Security Advisor, said in January that Ukraine could generate hundreds of thousands of new soldiers if it lowered its conscription age to 18.
**Ukraine’s Manpower Challenges**
The Ukrainian military faces a critical manpower shortage, struggling to replenish infantry gaps left by heavy losses in battle-hardened brigades. Enlisting often means signing up until the war ends, with no end in sight. A one-year contract option would appeal to those interested in contributing to the war effort for a limited period.
**Kyiv’s Reforms**
Zelensky’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Pavlo Palisa, said in January that Ukraine is finalizing reforms to attract young people exempt from mobilization. “We need to adapt the structure to the logic of modern warfare,” he said.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com
