As reported by RBK-Ukraine, this was stated by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with the newspaper Il Foglio. This information is also provided by Kontrakty.UA.
"According to the legislation, those aged 25 and older are being mobilized today. Mobilization is ongoing and it is drafting a significant number of people. They have rotations or leaves, but, undoubtedly, this is insufficient. We need to work on the quality of this," said Zelensky.
He noted that there are requests from military personnel about how to "return home and not go back to the front."
"Certainly, these requests exist. They are not currently provided for by law. Martial law entails the mobilization of people and all resources. And this, unfortunately, is the challenge of this war. We are defending ourselves today. If tomorrow half of the army simply goes home, then we should have surrendered on the first day. If tomorrow half goes home - Putin will kill us all," the president emphasized.
Mobilization in Ukraine
Recall that after the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree imposing martial law. On the same day, he issued a decree on general mobilization.
It should be noted that martial law and mobilization in Ukraine have been repeatedly extended.
In early April 2024, Zelensky signed a law reducing the maximum age for citizens to be registered as conscripts from 27 to 25 years.
Overall, men aged 18 to 60 are subject to conscription in Ukraine. Meanwhile, men aged 18-25 are considered conscripts and, in most cases, cannot be mobilized.
Meanwhile, international partners have repeatedly urged Ukraine to lower the mobilization age to 18. However, this idea is opposed within Ukraine.
In particular, recently Zelensky once again categorically opposed lowering the mobilization age. In his opinion, this would only lead to an increase in the number of unarmed individuals at the front.
Demobilization of Military Personnel
Recall that the new mobilization law, which came into effect in May 2024, excluded the demobilization of military personnel. The Ministry of Defense reported that a separate draft law would be developed for this purpose.
In December, the First Deputy Minister of Defense, Ivan Havryliuk stated that the draft law on demobilization is nearly ready. However, its implementation is impossible until reserves for replacing military personnel at the front are prepared.
On January 9, 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to address the issue of demobilizing servicemen after 18 months of service.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the draft law on the demobilization of military personnel has already been developed. Currently, mechanisms for replacing a large number of people at the front are being worked out.