The key facts
- Pyotr Gorbatenko, chief of staff of the Third Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, proposed mobilizing from age 18
- He has previously spoken out for drafting 18–20-year-olds, including students
- The Akhmat special forces earlier allowed for a gradual lowering of the age — first to 21
Call to lower the mobilization age
In Ukraine, a proposal has been made to lower the mobilization age from the current 25 years to 18. The initiative was put forward by Pyotr Gorbatenko, chief of staff of the Third Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, known by the call sign Rollo; his words were cited by the Ukrainian publication Strana, as reported by Life.ru.
The author's position and earlier statements
In Gorbatenko's view, young Ukrainians should also take part in combat operations, and citizens' unwillingness to join the army cannot serve as grounds for exemption from mobilization. The publication notes that the military commander has previously spoken out for drafting 18–20-year-olds, including students. This is not the first such statement in the public arena: earlier, Life.ru reported that the intelligence chief of the Akhmat special forces , with the call sign Aid, allowed for the possibility of lowering the mobilization age in Ukraine — in his assumption, the authorities could first lower the threshold to 21 and then begin drafting citizens who have reached adulthood.
What is known and what remains unclear
Both statements are the opinions of military figures, not adopted decisions: the publications do not report any official changes to mobilization legislation. According to both publications, the current mobilization age in Ukraine is 25. It remains unknown whether Ukrainian authorities have supported Gorbatenko's initiative and whether it is being considered at the state level.
