Key Points and Summary – In a desperate move to address a severe manpower crisis, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law allowing volunteers aged 60 and older to join the army.
-The new measure, which has no upper age limit, is designed to expand the recruitment pool for non-combat and specialized roles.
-This comes as the average age of a Ukrainian soldier is already reportedly over 40.
-The unprecedented step highlights the immense strain the long war with Russia has placed on Ukraine’s population and its ability to sustain its military forces on the front lines.
A Sign of a Deepening Crisis: Ukraine Opens Its Army to Volunteers Over 60
Ukraine has taken a previously unheard-of step in its war with Russia: It has opened the ranks of its army to people 60 years of age and older.
According to Kyiv Post, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a new law, an updated Law On Military Duty and Military Service, that will allow those of that age to sign up for the army under contract. It applies to volunteers, with no provision for compulsory service for that age group.
“The measure enables older volunteers to serve in non-combat and specialized roles, expanding Ukraine’s recruitment pool amid continued manpower shortages,” the Kyiv Independent said of the new law.
“Those wishing to serve as officers must also have their candidacy approved by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) or another authorized military body. The procedure for such approvals and required documentation will be determined by those same military authorities,” the Kyiv Post story said.
There is no upper age limit for service, the report said. Those of that age signing up are subject to a two-month probationary period, which can be terminated early if a recruit is found unfit to serve.
Ukraine’s army is an older one, with the Kyiv Post report citing unofficial statistics that the average age of Ukrainian soldiers is over 40.
Some allies have suggested that Ukraine lower its conscription age to 18, which they have not done, although Ukraine has launched a “recruitment initiative” for soldiers aged 18 to 24, which reportedly drew 10,000 applications in its first week.
The draft age in Ukraine is 25, having been lowered from 27 in the spring of 2024.
A New Deadline
The announcement comes as President Donald Trump said earlier this week, amid continuing Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, that he is shortening the time remaining in his ultimatum to Ukraine to put an end to the war.
Trump had originally given Russia a 50-day deadline to reach a ceasefire, or else face secondary tariffs on its energy trading partners, an announcement made at the same time that the U.S. made new weapons available to Ukraine, through NATO allies.
That deadline would have been reached in early September, but after Trump shortened it to “10 to 12 days,” it will now be reached in early August.
It would appear unlikely that Russia will change course that quickly. Russia and Ukraine met for talks earlier this week, once again, in Istanbul, although the talks yielded little progress.
“I’m going to make a new deadline of about 10, 10 or 12 days from today,” Trump told the press this week, during his visit to Scotland, as he sat next to British Prime Minister Kier Starmer, as quoted by The Guardian.
“There’s no reason in waiting. There’s no reason in waiting. It’s 50 days. I want to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made.”
“We thought we had that settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever,” Trump also said this week, per The Guardian.
“You have bodies lying all over the street, and I say that’s not the way to do it. So we’ll see what happens with that.”
More Sanctions Coming 0n Ukraine War
Earlier this month, the European Union agreed to impose a new round of sanctions on Russia. Per Reuters, the sanctions are expected to “reshuffle global diesel flows.”
“The diesel market is seen as a proxy for global economic activity because the fuel is mostly used in trucks, ships and power generators as well as agricultural and industrial machinery. In Europe, around a quarter of the passenger car fleet runs on diesel, a significantly higher proportion than in other regions,” the report said.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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