Zelenskyy signs law to recruit more troops, 'running out of missiles' to fight Russia

After more than two years of fighting, Ukraine is on the back foot, with its top military commander on the eastern front saying Russian forces outnumber its own by 10 to one. Kiev needs fresh troops to shore up its positions and “turn around” its exhausted army.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy inspects defense systems in the Kharkiv region on April 9, 2024. Photo: Ukrainian President's Press Service

The law, which will take effect a month after its official announcement, requires men to update their draft records with the government, increases benefits for volunteers and adds new penalties for draft dodging.

It is not yet clear how many troops could be mobilized under the new provisions. The draft has sparked public outcry and has gone through more than 4,000 amendments before being approved by Ukraine’s parliament .

Mr Zelenskyy recently signed a separate law cutting the military conscription age from 27 to 25 to ensure more combat power.

Ukraine began mobilizing its forces shortly after its conflict with Russia in February 2022. Initially, the country saw a large influx of volunteer fighters, but numbers have since plummeted, with thousands of cases of draft dodging reported since then.

Kiev’s military is also facing shortages of weapons and ammunition, with key funding from the US being blocked for months by Republicans in the US Congress and the EU failing to deliver ammunition on time. Meanwhile, Russian forces are getting stronger and are accelerating their advance.

The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said last week that the situation on the eastern front had escalated significantly and that the Russian army was planning to capture the strategic town of Chasiv Yar by May 9, as well as possibly launch a larger offensive.

President Zelenskyy even said that Ukraine was helpless against Russian airstrikes due to the lack of air defense systems. He said that Russia had fired 11 missiles at the Trypilska power plant. Ukrainian air defense forces shot down the first seven missiles, but the next four completely destroyed the plant.

“Why? Because we don’t have missiles. We’re out of missiles,” Zelenskyy told PBS NewsHour in an interview that aired Monday.

Mr. Zelenskyy has repeatedly warned allies that Ukraine's air defense system is dangerously weak, while Russia has recently increased its air strikes on Ukraine.

Bui Huy (according to CNN, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tong-thong-ukraine-ky-luat-tuyen-them-quan-noi-het-ten-lua-de-dau-voi-nga-post292086.html