Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Lytvynenko announced plans to mobilize an additional 160,000 personnel during his address to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s Parliament) on 29 October 2024.

The statement comes amid an increasing shortage of personnel in Ukraine’s Armed Forces, exhausted by the almost 3-year-long war, with the largest number of troops mobilized shortly before the Russian attack in February 2022 and in the first months of the war.

This mobilization effort aims to bring military units to 85% of their intended personnel strength, Lytvynenko said. He revealed that Ukraine’s defense forces have already mobilized 1.05 million citizens since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The announcement comes as Parliament voted to extend both martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days, until 7 February 2025.

This mobilization plan emerges in the context of Ukraine’s new mobilization law adopted in April 2024, which introduces significant changes to the country’s military recruitment process. The new legislation establishes a comprehensive system for monitoring military-eligible men aged 18-60.

However, the new law has faced criticism for notable omissions, particularly the lack of provisions for troop rotation and demobilization of current service members. The initial draft included a 36-month maximum service period, but this was removed at the request of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who argued such matters should be addressed in separate legislation.

Moreover, the new mobilization law lacked strict punishment for draft dodgers, which, critics said, largely diminished its positive sides.

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