It will be necessary to mobilize 21-year-olds – former advisor to Zaluzhny.

Ukraine may reduce the conscription age to 21 years for reserve preparation. This was stated by the former advisor to the ex-commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhny, Major General Viktor Nazarov in an interview with BBC News.

According to him, the occupiers have drawn conclusions from their failures on the front since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prepared for 2023, withstood the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and are currently implementing a modified strategy.

«Russia is doing this at the expense of its quite significant, large resources, primarily human. It is doing this because it has largely transitioned its economy to a war footing. We have a phrase that is not fashionable here, which everyone usually fears to use,» Nazarov noted, commenting on the prolonged full-scale offensive of the enemy.

In addition to the fact that the Russians have been able to improve the level of fire effectiveness, they do not heed losses and do not care about their soldiers. For the occupiers, the general emphasized, this is not a topic of political discussions, which «allows them to carry out this endless offensive through these small streams».

«They chose these specific directions, in these directions, with an endless flow, on the principle of «water wears away stone,» they are fulfilling their tasks,» commented the former advisor to Zaluzhny on the enemy's strategy.

Considering that the invaders are involving soldiers from the DPRK army in the war against Ukraine and are actively encouraging Russians to sign contracts with the army in exchange for money, in Nazarov's opinion, they will be able to fight and advance for a long Time.

«The culmination of this offensive will depend on when and how many means of fire impact we will have,» Nazarov believes.

Also, the former advisor to Valeriy Zaluzhny suggested that Ukraine will indeed have to lower the conscription age.

«I do not support the thesis that we should mobilize from 18 years, as our partners suggest. But at least from 21 years, perhaps, we will have to do this,» the major general warned.

Nazarov added that such a step would have to be taken not in the context of military operations, but to «prepare reserve resources for the future».

Recall that the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is pressuring Ukraine to lower the conscription age to 18 years to quickly increase its armed forces for war with Russia. In particular, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that Ukraine must make «difficult decisions» about further military mobilization.

In contrast, advisor to the President of Ukraine Dmytro Lytvyn stated that Ukraine is not preparing to lower the conscription age from the current 25 years to 18 years. At the end of November, he already stated that there was no sense in lowering the conscription age, as Ukraine is not receiving timely promised weapons from its partners.

Later, The Washington Post wrote that Ukraine is considering mobilizing 18-year-olds amid pressure from the U.S. However, despite pressure from Western partners, mobilizing young people to 18 years in Ukraine causes serious internal disputes. Many Ukrainians, including military personnel, believe that the country should protect its young generation more, which is the future of the state and free from the Soviet influence experienced by previous generations. However, despite these concerns, the situation on the front requires mobilization, especially when Ukrainian units feel a shortage of people on the battlefield.

As reported, a member of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada on National Security, Fedir Venislavsky stated that the Rada is not considering any bills regarding lowering the conscription age.

By the way, men who have not reached the officially established conscription age of 18-25 years are planned to be stimulated to voluntarily join the Armed Forces of Ukraine by introducing a system of motivational contracts. As sources in the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine informed «Glavkom,» the conditions of such contracts are currently being developed by the Ministry of Defense.