Ukraine passes new military recruitment law to 'rotate' forces

Ukrainian lawmakers have been hesitant to pass the law for months, believing it would not be popular. The law will go to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his signature and will take effect a month after its publication.

Ukraine adopts new military law to rotate forces image 1 — Ukraine is short of both soldiers and weapons on the battlefield. Photo: AP

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed in December 2023 to mobilize an additional 500,000 troops, but this figure was revised down by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, on the grounds that the troops could be rotated from the rear. However, there is no specific information on the final number that will be added.

A new law on military service has been adopted, aimed at making it easier for the Ukrainian government to identify men who are eligible to serve. Under the law, men between the ages of 18 and 60 will be required to carry documents certifying their registration for military service and present them upon request. Additionally, men who apply for state service at a consulate abroad will also be registered for military service.

However, the effectiveness of the new law is still being questioned. Expert Oksana Zabolotna said that the law “does not achieve its main declared goal” and that mobilizing the necessary number of soldiers could be difficult.

The law also provides incentives for soldiers, including bonuses or money for homes and cars. However, paying for these will be a challenge for Ukraine, especially in a wartime economic climate.

The new law was supposed to include a provision allowing soldiers who had served 36 months to be discharged, but a last-minute amendment removed this provision, forcing these soldiers to continue fighting until February 2025.

With Ukraine already facing shortages of ammunition and equipment, it is unlikely that more troops will be needed. In total, about 1 million Ukrainians serve in the military, with about 300,000 on the front lines.

Many Ukrainian soldiers have been exhausted on the front lines since Russia launched a special military operation in late February 2022, due to a shortage of manpower that has prevented them from being rotated for rest.

Thu Giang (according to AP)

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