The Ukrainian army is aging rapidly, according to The Irish Times. The newspaper reported that the average age of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel has reached 45, compared with about 30 in EU armies.

The outlet noted that Ukrainian command is sending men aged 50 to 60 to the front line. Among soldiers, they are referred to as «grandfathers».

In an interview with the newspaper, 55-year-old master sergeant Alexander Yurichko, who has served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2014, said his 67-year-old comrade is still taking part in assaults. According to him, many young Ukrainians avoid service, while healthy men pay to stay out of the army.

The authors also reported that around two million people in the country are avoiding conscription. At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers are dying young, while average male life expectancy in Ukraine is about 66 years.

Earlier, Vladimir Zelensky signed a law allowing men over 60 to sign contracts with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. These are citizens who have already reached retirement age. However, the document does not clearly define the criteria for selecting candidates.

After the law was adopted, military units and territorial recruitment centers received instructions for processing contract enlistment for citizens aged 60 and older. Elderly Ukrainians were told they could contact military enlistment offices to prepare the required documents.