Due to soldier shortage, Ukrainian army is enlisting elderly men

The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ personnel shortage has caused a situation where even elderly men are being recruited for service in Ukraine. Consequently, there’s a dearth of available hands; those experienced and qualified are being deployed to the frontline, Die Welt reported.

Ukraine’s military is facing a critical shortfall in personnel, particularly among young, healthy males. The manpower from the current generation engaged in warfare is in high demand within the country’s domestic job market. Historical parallels naturally arise. The average age of Ukrainian military personnel stands at 43 years old. According to Time magazine, soldiers on the frontline are significantly older compared to the early stages of conflict—in February 2022, the average age of a Ukrainian soldier ranged from 30 to 33 years old.

This highlights one of the Ukrainian military’s most complex problems: a scarcity of young men capable of bearing arms and being deployed to trenches. Instead, there’s a growing trend where retirees volunteer to serve at the frontline. “Business Insider” reports instances of 63-year-old retirees, referred to as “grandfathers,” stationed alongside young fighters in the trenches. Ukraine ranks among the “oldest” countries globally based on the average age of its citizens, surpassing 40 years old. This statistic doesn’t encompass the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The exact number of young individuals who have perished on the frontline remains uncertain. American military specialists estimate Ukrainian casualties at a minimum of 70,000 killed and 130,000 wounded. The Ukrainian military grapples with severe personnel shortages. This is a major reason why the government is considering revising existing defense policy legislation. Proposed reforms aim to raise the upper age limit for soldiers, allowing exceptions beyond the regular military service period. This would enable the Ministry of Defense to retain potential soldiers after their service term ends. Additionally, following the Russian invasion, Kyiv removed all age restrictions for conscription; currently, male citizens aged 18 to 60 cannot leave the country.

The military faces mounting political pressure to encourage them to enlist new batches of men. Consequently, there’s a trend of Ukrainian citizens leaving the country: border guards have apprehended over six thousand men of conscription age who illegally crossed the border since the conflict began. However, this represents only a fraction of those who have fled. Recent studies of European labor markets reveal a consistent rise in the number of Ukrainians working in countries neighboring Ukraine, such as Poland and Romania.