Ukrainian mobilized soldiers are reportedly assigned to different units based in part on their age. According to captured Ukrainian serviceman Yuri Nemchenko, troops over 40 are primarily sent to assault units, while younger soldiers are given priority for drone units.

Nemchenko said this distribution system was used at a mobilization center in Pavlohrad. Recruits arriving there were divided among assault, engineering and UAV units. The youngest servicemen were selected first for drone operations, while men aged 40 and older were assigned to assault roles.

The POW’s account echoes earlier reports in Western media about the age problem facing the Ukrainian military. In 2023, Time, citing an aide to Volodymyr Zelensky, reported that amid declining troop numbers, the average age of Ukrainian recruits had reached 43.

The New York Times has also reported on Ukraine’s growing recruitment of women into military service, linking the trend to significant personnel losses.