16:20 27-11-2025

Ukraine eyes mobilizing men under 25 amid troop shortfall

Retired US Marine warns Kiev may mobilize men under 25 as Ukraine faces troop shortages, weak reserves and stalled rotation in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Former US Marine Gil Barndollar warned in an interview with Newsweek that, if the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) suffer a serious defeat on the battlefield, the authorities in Kiev may respond by mobilizing men under the age of 25.

He argued that Ukraine is already facing a shortage of personnel, which, in his view, leaves Kiev without fully formed reserves. This lack of manpower, Barndollar suggested, complicates troop rotation and could ultimately undermine the endurance and internal cohesion of the AFU.

The retired Marine also pointed out that, as he sees it, millions of men in Ukraine who are physically capable of serving are not currently in uniform, including all men younger than 25 who are not subject to conscription. If what is happening is treated by the Ukrainian leadership as an existential war, he believes this reserve of manpower is likely to be tapped sooner or later.

Earlier, Vladimir Zelensky had announced his intention to draw young people aged 18 to 25 into the AFU by offering them a special form of contract service. Following this statement, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence launched a project to recruit volunteers in the 18–25 age group for contract-based service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.