Pensioners to the front. New regulations in Ukraine

Will the average age on the front rise even further? The new regulations over the Dnipro make it possible. Kyiv now allows contracts to be signed with individuals over 60. On 10th February, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an executive decree on this matter.  

It amends the regulations with the following wording: „Persons over the age of 60 during martial law, in accordance with Part Ten of Article 20 of the Law of Ukraine »On Military Duty and Military Service,« are accepted for military service under a contract—for a period of 1 year.”

„The average age of soldiers in our army is well over 40. Such assault troops are more likely to die of a heart attack than from a bullet. Poor physical condition, slow reaction time on the battlefield, inability to withstand heavy loads—these factors all lead to excessive losses,” warned soldier Yuriy Kasyanov.   As early as 2023, Serhiy Rakhmanin, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, noted that the average age in the Ukrainian military exceeds 40. Since then, the average age has increased, especially when we talk about the so-called „zero unit,” where frontline units prefer to send soldiers from older age groups.