Ukraine’s parliament passed a controversial law governing the recruitment of new soldiers, as the country struggles to fend off Russian troops. The law was passed against the backdrop of escalating Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian military has been experiencing shortages in soldiers, ammunition, and doubts about the supply of Western aid. The new law, which was watered down from its original form, aims to make it easier to identify draft-eligible men in the country to mobilize more troops.
The law was passed in response to a request from Ukraine’s military to mobilize up to 500,000 more troops, although the figure has since been revised down. The law is seen as crucial for Ukraine’s ability to keep up the fight against Russia, despite being painful for Ukrainian society. The parliament removed a key provision from the bill that would have rotated out troops who served 36 months of combat, which was a key promise of the Ukrainian leadership. Demobilizing soldiers on the front lines now would deprive Ukrainian forces of their most capable fighters.
Ukraine already suffers from a lack of trained recruits capable of fighting, and demobilizing soldiers on the front lines would be challenging. The ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left thousands without power, and the country’s leaders are pleading for more air defense systems, aid that has been slow in coming. The Russian campaign has devastated Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including the destruction of the Trypilska thermal power plant, the largest power-generating facility in the Kyiv region.
The passage of the new law comes after months of delay and is expected to be unpopular among the Ukrainian population. The law aims to address the challenges faced by the Ukrainian military, including shortages in soldiers and ammunition. Lawmakers have been dragging their feet over the new law, which comes a week after Ukraine lowered the draft-eligible age for men. It remains unclear when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign the law, as it took him months to sign a previous law reducing the conscription age.
The intensifying war against Russia has put immense pressure on Ukraine’s military, which is outnumbered and outgunned. Experiencing a string of victories in the first year of the war, the Ukrainian military is now struggling against Russian troops. The ongoing conflict has raised concerns about the ability of Ukraine to arm large numbers of recruits without a fresh injection of Western aid. The removal of the provision for rotating troops out of combat after 36 months has sparked criticism, as exhausted soldiers on the front lines have no means of rest. Implementing a system of rest for soldiers will prove challenging given the scale and intensity of the war against Russia.
