Photo: National Guard
A citizen who has reached the age of 25 is not required to report to the Military Commissariat but he remains subject to the same legal obligations as other individuals eligible for military service. The reduction in the conscription age is expected to impact the average age within the Ukrainian army.
These statements were made by Volodymyr Romanchuk, a lawyer from LCF Law Group and a junior lieutenant in the reserve, during an interview with Hromadske Radio.
On April 2nd, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law lowering the conscription age from 27 to 25 years.
«Individuals eligible for military service who were previously aged 27 and now it’s 25 may not be called up for conscription but may still be mobilized… However, the procedures for receiving mobilization orders and calls to the Military Commissariat remain unchanged under the law, including the requirement for direct delivery of a call-up order. Therefore, if you are 25 years old, you are only obligated to respond to mandatory call-ups or to register for military service, as stipulated by law», — explained the lawyer.
Volodymyr Romanchuk emphasized that the extent and size of the mobilization reserve are classified information.
«In my view, this law is not only aimed at expanding the mobilization reserve and increasing the number of individuals eligible for military service but also at lowering the average age within the army. Young soldiers are typically more motivated, physically resilient, and may bring fresh perspectives to the military.
On the other hand, individuals aged 25 to 27 who were not previously eligible for military service are now included. Therefore, the pool of potential recruits for the army is objectively expected to increase by several hundred thousand», — stated the Hromadske Radio source.