UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 770 - APRIL 2, 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law on April 2 lowering the draft age for the Ukrainian army from 27 to 25 years old.

The law was passed by the Verkhovna Rada in May 2023 and will come into effect on April 3, 2024. Lowering the draft age is one of several measures Ukraine is considering as part of its ongoing efforts to build a sustainable military force. Lowering the draft age from 27 to 25 years old will strengthen the ability of the Ukrainian armed forces to rebuild existing units and establish new ones. Ukraine will need to equip all newly mobilized soldiers with weapons, and ongoing debates in the US over military aid to Ukraine as well as delays in Western assistance could impact the speed at which Ukraine can restore degraded units and establish new ones. According to ISW assessments, the equipment provided by the West is a key factor in the ability of the Ukrainian armed forces to rebuild and strengthen their combat readiness.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu stated on April 2 that Russian forces had seized around 400 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in the first three months of the year - a figure that may not necessarily reflect the prospect of a larger Russian offensive due to delays in US security support.

Ukraine has used unidentified long-range unmanned aerial systems (UAS) against Russian military production and oil refinery infrastructure in the Republic of Tatarstan, which is more than 1,200 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border.

Read the full Russian Offensive Update 770 directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR