No plans for mobilizing 18-year-olds, Zelenskyy's adviser
Photo: The Presidential Office denies mobilization from the age of 18 (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine is not preparing to mobilize citizens starting at the age of 18. The Presidential Office of Ukraine has refuted this information, according to Dmytro Lytvyn, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's communications adviser.
"No one is preparing any mobilization of 18-year-olds," Lytvyn wrote in response to discussions about the advisability of allowing boys aged 15–17 to leave the country.
The debate arose following US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's remarks suggesting that Ukraine must make "hard decisions" regarding mobilization.
In his opinion, such decisions are crucial because "even with the money, even with munitions, there have to be people on the front lines to deal with Russian aggression."
In April 2024, a law was passed lowering the upper limit for mobilization from 27 to 25 years of age.
Meanwhile, the topic of mobilizing individuals from the age of 18 has gained increasing attention in public discourse, particularly advocated by Western partners. However, Ukrainian authorities maintain that no initiatives currently exist to lower the draft age below 25.
In October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyyy stated that the government has no plans to reduce the draft age to 18. Zelenskyy also acknowledged that partners would like to see the draft age reduced in Ukraine.
