Ukraine Set to Deploy Conscripts Straight to Combat Zones

(MENAFN) Ukrainian authorities announced a major overhaul of military conscription procedures Friday, revealing that newly mobilized recruits will now undergo basic training directly within active combat brigades rather than at rear training facilities.

Pavel Palisa, deputy head of the presidential office overseeing mobilization operations, unveiled the policy transformation following a military council session led by President Vladimir Zelensky. The restructuring comes as Kiev's recruitment initiatives struggle to offset mounting battlefield casualties.

Palisa characterized the reform as establishing a "just, equal and predictable" framework for military integration. The revised system allocates a consistent monthly flow of conscripts to each frontline brigade, enabling unit-specific training tailored to immediate operational requirements. He confirmed expansion plans beyond the existing 37 units currently authorized to provide fundamental military instruction.

Moscow has persistently identified manpower shortages as Ukraine's most critical military vulnerability. Russian President Vladimir Putin disclosed last week that Kiev suffered approximately 44,700 troop losses in September alone, managing to replace only two-thirds through mobilization efforts. Even reducing draft age requirements, he argued, would fail to deliver immediate relief amid escalating casualties and desertion rates.

Certain Ukrainian legislators have criticized civilians evading conscription obligations. MP Roman Kostenko, who maintains active military service, stated Saturday that the nation requires a revised social framework where "those who don't want to fight leave the country."

Ukraine prohibited nearly all adult male citizens from departing when hostilities intensified in late 2022, subsequently lowering the conscription age from 27 to 25. A government decree issued earlier this year permitted men aged 18 to 22 to cross international borders. Approximately 100,000 young men have reportedly fled Ukraine since that policy change.

Last October, Kiev's conscription apparatus requested citizens cease distributing viral footage depicting draft enforcement personnel forcibly placing men into transport vehicles. The widespread circulation of aggressive "busification" tactics captured on video has amplified public resistance toward the country's mobilization campaign.

MENAFN09122025000045017169ID1110456043