Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law lowering the age limit for military mobilization by two years - from 27 to 25.
During more than two years of war, Kiev faces heavy losses on the battlefield.
The authorities in Kiev are trying to fill the military ranks, after the number of volunteers dropped.
Zelenskiy said in December that 500.000 more soldiers are needed.
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While preparing the draft law, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine justified the lowering of the conscription age by the need to fill the reserves.
Before this change in the law, mobilization was valid for Ukrainians between the ages of 27 and 60, even if they had no experience in military service.
Although the law was voted by deputies in May 2023, it did not enter into force because Zelenski did not sign it.
It is not clear what prompted the president to sign the law now, but he previously warned of Russia's plans to launch an offensive in the spring or summer.
The signing of the law could mean that Kiev intends to build strong defensive fortifications in preparation for a Russian offensive.
Ukrainian authorities hoped and promised to recapture parts of the territory conquered by Russia, as well as to cut Russian supply lines to Crimea, a peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.
However, Russian forces stopped Kiev's counteroffensive last year and now there is fear of a Russian offensive that could be decisive.
Ukrainian political and military authorities have been pointing out for months that they lack Western weapons and that they will not be able to defend themselves without modern air defense systems.
Ukraine has relied heavily on Western military aid, especially on long-range missiles and air defense systems, but additional billions of dollars and euros have been blocked in the US Congress and in the European Union due to political disagreements.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that more than 600.000 of his troops are fighting in Ukraine, but has not disclosed how many have lost their lives there.
Since the beginning of the war, Kiev and Moscow have only spoken about their own losses on a few occasions.
A US intelligence report released in December estimated that 315.000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the start of the war, which is said to be nearly 90 percent of Russian military personnel at the start of the invasion.
Zelenski said in February that 31.000 Ukrainian soldiers killed since the beginning of the war, but US officials estimate that the number of dead Ukrainian soldiers was at least 70.000 and 120.000 wounded.
Watch the video: Dangerous escape from mobilization in Ukraine
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