Ukraine's parliament recently passed a new law governing the recruitment of conscripts, a process that had been delayed for months and faced numerous amendments. The law, which is expected to be met with some resistance, was initiated following a request from the military command to bolster the army with up to 500,000 new recruits.
The urgency for new recruits arose as soldiers, fatigued from continuous frontline duty since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, were unable to rotate out for much-needed rest. Additionally, a significant number of Ukrainian men have been evading the draft, further straining military resources.
The newly enacted law introduces several changes to the existing system, notably empowering Ukrainian authorities to issue draft notices electronically. The initial recruitment target of 500,000 was later revised downward by current army leadership and President Zelenskyy after a thorough audit revealed that soldiers could be rotated from rear positions to alleviate the need for such a large influx of new recruits.
The former army Commander Valerii Zaluzhny, who had advocated for the high recruitment numbers, was reportedly dismissed from his post in connection with the mobilization issue.
