Ukraine to recruit people over 60 to fight in war against Russia

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a new law allowing citizens over 60 years old to join the armed forces. With the war against Russia now dragging into its fourth year, Ukraine is finding it hard to get enough people to serve.

The new law lets seniors take on non-combat roles, like support jobs or logistics, as long as they pass a health check. These recruits will serve for one year under contract. According to lawmakers, many older Ukrainians have shown a strong will to help defend their country. Now, they finally have the chance.

Ukraine's army has been stretched thin as the war continues. To fix this, the government has launched many efforts to bring in new troops. Earlier this year, it dropped the draft age from 27 to 25, though it stopped short of lowering it to 18, despite pressure from the United States.

Young people between 18 and 24 are being offered short-term contracts and financial perks. But Ukraine is thinking bigger. New recruits can now earn a one-time bonus of 1 million hryvnia (around $24,000), get help with buying a home, attend college for free, and even travel abroad after their service.

Despite these efforts, filling the ranks remains tough. Some Ukrainian soldiers have said the army should focus more on better training and stronger incentives to get more people on board.

Meanwhile, Russia is facing the same problem. It recently accepted help from North Korea, which sent over 10,000 troops to help fight in the western Kursk region—an area Ukraine had recaptured last summer.

The war’s human cost is staggering. A June 2025 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington says nearly one million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the invasion began in February 2022. Ukraine has lost around 400,000 troops. That brings the total number of military casualties to nearly 1.4 million.

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