Rada proposes to mobilize military pensioners in Ukraine

More than 100,000 Ukrainian military pensioners may be mobilized to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Verkhovna Rada MP Iryna Kostankevych said on 25 November.

"There are more than 100 thousand military pensioners in the rear, who may well join the ranks of the AFU. <...> At the same time, 40 thousand Ukrainians from this category are already fighting," the "Focus" edition quoted her as saying.

The MP called it one of the most realistic ways, noting that the conscription of this category of persons can take into account the rotation. According to Kostankevych, mobilization in Ukraine may also affect employees of the State Emergency Service, police officers and employees of other security agencies.

On 24 November, The Economist reported that the mobilization plan in Ukraine had been implemented by two thirds and that this could not solve the shortage of personnel. At the same time, a member of the Kiev city council, Alina Mykhaylova, called for a forced mobilization of the country's citizens.

Earlier, on November 22, the Ukrainian media reported on the development in Kiev of a new format of contract with the AFU for young people 18-24 years old. It is about voluntary entry into the army for citizens who have not reached the mobilization age to serve for a limited period of time.

Martial law in Ukraine has been in effect since February 2022. Later, the Verkhovna Rada repeatedly extended its effect. Most men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country. In April 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (his term expired on 20 May) signed a law on tougher mobilization.