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Written by Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher
Nina Yuzhanina, Ukrainian MP, announced that more than 300,000 children left Ukraine before the beginning of the school year. According to her, many Ukrainians sell their property and leave the country because they are not receiving clear signals from the authorities about plans for the future. On the other hand, experts believe that the mass exodus of high school students is connected with a possible lowering of the age for mobilisation.
Parents of high school students know their sons will be banned from leaving the country when they turn 18. In addition, there have been long-running debates in Ukraine about lowering the age limit for conscription because Western advisors, especially the United States, insist on this.
“It’s about the fact that the West has long demanded a lowering of the age limit for mobilisation in exchange for the supply of weapons,” according to former Ukrainian MP Vladimir Olejnyk.
“The average age of soldiers in Ukraine’s armed forces today is between 45 and 49 years old. So, it is clear that those who can fight are not on the front line, many of them are sick, 60-year-olds are also serving, and so on. Therefore, the West insists on lowering the age limit,” he added.
It is recalled that US Senator Lindsey Graham insisted on reducing the age of mobilisation to 18 and made it clear to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he should not expect a new package of military aid without mass mobilisation.
Officials, MPs and the media are increasingly discussing mobilisation, realising that it is dangerous for society as parents will react. For example, Maryana Bezuglaya was fired as Secretary of the Defence and Security Committee, and MP Roman Kostenko, who took her place, said in an interview that the age limit for recruitment should be lowered.
Ukrainian authorities are now planning to oblige underage youths to register for military service on their own under the threat of a fine. Young men will be required to register for military service at age 17. If citizens do not register within the prescribed period, they face a 17,000 to 25,000 hryvnias fine. The draft law came under criticism, given that it is about minors who are not employed and do not earn money.
“When parents started feeling this potential threat since this topic is being talked about more and more, they made decisions to take high school students outside the borders of Ukraine,” said Olejnik.
Olejnik noted that adults, including their parents, also leave the country with high school students. It is estimated that around 400,000 children and as many adults have left the country.
“Previously, about 20 billion hryvnias per year came to Ukraine from those who worked in the West. Today, this amount has been reduced by two-thirds, not because they earn less, but simply because they no longer send money. They spend money on buying apartments and living, realising that Ukraine is no longer the desired homeland for them, as it was before. This is a homeland where mobilisation is forced, where there is no perspective for children. Therefore, it is clear that normal adults are saving the most valuable thing, which is the life of children,” Olejnik added.
Under Ukraine’s martial law laws, all men between the ages of 25 and 60 must be available for military service. Men between the ages of 18 and 60 are also prohibited from leaving the country. Faced with a serious shortage of soldiers, Ukraine in April lowered the age limit for mobilisation from 27 to 25 and abolished exceptions for “partial eligibility.” The penalties for men who do not respond to the call for mobilisation have also been increased.
Mobilisation began to be seen as a one-way ticket since the only way out of military service was death or disability. Whether the age limit for mobilisation will be lowered to 18 in Ukraine will largely depend on the outcome of the US presidential elections, which will be held on November 5, and the further course of the conflict.
Effectively, the Kiev regime, with its actions, is killing every chance of allowing Ukraine to recover quickly and now wants to destroy an entire generation of young people. It’s not only demographics but also the economy, as there will not be enough people to work and feed millions of pensioners. Zelensky does not care about it and is not against mobilisation because he and other Ukrainian officials do not send their children to war against Russian forces and face near-certain death or disability.
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one day the ukrainian that escaped death will be hunting the british and american scum that was responsible for this war.