A commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces believes that the mobilization age should be lowered to 18 and that girls should be conscripted

Against the backdrop of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers’ decision to open borders for young men under 22, calls have emerged to lower the mobilization age to 18 and begin drafting women.

The statement was made by Yuriy Bereza, commander of the “Dnipro-1” battalion.

“This is a matter of survival for our state. Look at Israel — there’s not even a question about conscription; compulsory military service for young people is the norm. Whoever fled abroad should have no right to hold state positions, run a business, or enjoy the privileges of citizenship. To win this war and remain a state, we must unite all our internal forces,” Bereza said.

He suggested that conscripted 18-year-olds do not necessarily have to serve directly at the front lines.

The Cabinet of Ministers yesterday approved the decision allowing men under 22 to leave the country. However, the resolution has not yet been officially published or come into force. The State Border Guard Service has already stated that under the new rules, Ukrainian men under 22 will need a military registration document, either in paper or electronic form, to cross the border.