The physical health of most men aged 55 to 60 is unsatisfactory for active military service. For this reason, a group of People's Deputies initiated Bill No. 12222, which proposes to reduce the age limit for reserve and military service from 60 to 55 years.
What does the bill provide?
The draft law proposes to amend the Law of Ukraine "On Military Duty and Military Service" by establishing the maximum age for military personnel:
- Private, non-commissioned and senior officers, as well as junior and senior officers - up to 55 years old.
At the same time, citizens who wish to continue their service after reaching the age limit are allowed to remain in the military.
Legislators justify their initiative with a number of reasons:
- State of health. At the age of 55-60, most men already have serious health problems. This is confirmed by the data of the military medical commissions (MMC).
- Overload of experienced warriors. Since the start of the full-scale war, many older soldiers have been continuously deployed. The Union of ATO veterans calls to allow such people to return to civilian life.
- "Aging of the army". The Armed Forces recognize that in some cases older people cannot effectively perform combat tasks. Front-line commanders stress that 50+ troops can be beneficial, but should be deployed in areas where physical exertion is less critical.
The issue of reducing the mobilization age caused a significant public outcry. Several petitions have been registered on the official website of the President with the demand to lower the maximum age of mobilization. One such petition gathered more than 25,000 signatures in two months, which indicates a high level of support for the initiative.
Despite the obvious logic of the proposal, experts point to the importance of a thoughtful approach to the issue.
- The field of application of older people. Instead of completely excluding people 50+ from combat missions, it is worth creating specialized units or retraining them to perform logistics, staff or engineering tasks.
- Comprehensive medical assessment. Not all people aged 55–60 have the same health status. This means that an individual approach can be more effective.
Lowering the maximum age for mobilization can be the first step towards a more flexible model of staffing the Armed Forces. At the same time, the state should strengthen work on training younger age groups and create conditions for the return of military personnel to civilian life.
