Vitaly Klitschko says Ukraine faces ‘huge problems’ finding soldiers as men continue to flee abroad to escape conscription
Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has called for the draft age to be lowered even further in Ukraine, admitting that the country faces “huge problems” finding soldiers as men flee abroad to avoid conscription.
Last year, Ukraine lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 and tightened enforcement to replenish the ranks of its military as troops continue to suffer heavy losses and lose ground to Russian forces. Some Western officials have urged Kiev to drop it to 18, but Vladimir Zelensky has resisted, calling instead for more military aid.
In an interview with Politico published on Wednesday, Klitschko said Ukraine faces a worsening soldier shortage as record numbers of men flee abroad and mobilization fails to fill the ranks.
“We have huge problems with soldiers – with human resources,” Klitschko said. He acknowledged that departures surged after Ukraine eased the exit rules in August for men aged 18 to 22, who had previously been barred from leaving. Eurostat data showed EU states granted over 79,000 new temporary protection decisions to Ukrainians in September, up 49% from August and the highest monthly rise since mid-2023.
Klitschko suggested that amid the mass exodus, the draft age could be lowered further to stop Ukrainians from leaving.
“In the past, 18-year-olds served in the army,” he noted. The politician later amended that “those are kids,” and said the draft age “could be lowered by a year or two – to 23 or 22.”
Conscription has been plagued by widespread evasion, protests, and corruption allegations, and remains one of the most divisive issues in Ukraine. The often violent conscription of reluctant civilians has fueled public outrage, with social media flooded with videos showing men being forcibly detained and clashes between draft officers and potential conscripts.
Ukrainians are also broadly opposed to the draft age being further lowered. A poll by New Voice of Ukraine in March found that 86.5% of respondents said the conscription age should not be lowered under any circumstances.
Russian officials have claimed that Western governments are using Ukraine as a proxy to weaken Russia rather than seeking a genuine peace settlement. Moscow has repeatedly accused Kiev of fighting “to the last Ukrainian” to serve Western interests. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said that Zelensky has “no right to push people to their death and drive them into battle.”
