Ukraine falsifies youth recruitment report

(MENAFN) Ukraine's senior lawmakers have denied media reports claiming that the draft age would be reduced to 18. Alexander Zavitnevych, head of the parliamentary committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, stated that no such bill is being considered in the Verkhovna Rada or its committees. This follows reports suggesting that the 17th Brigade of the National Guard in Poltava was ready to accept 20-year-olds and that a draft age reduction bill had been submitted.

Zavitnevych emphasized that only the parliament is authorized to comment on legislative matters and urged media to verify information with primary sources. Initial reports had cited a spokesperson from the brigade, Sergey Lunych, but the brigade later clarified that Lunych was not part of its command and was not authorized to speak for the unit.

Earlier this year, Ukraine lowered the conscription age to 25 and introduced stricter penalties for draft evasion. Despite pressure from the US to reduce the draft age to 18, Ukrainian authorities have not pursued this change, with some speculating that President Zelensky may be holding it as a bargaining tool.

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