The new mobilization law came into effect a day after it was signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian parliament adopted it last year.
It is not clear why the president hesitated to sign the law. He did not comment publicly on this, and officials did not provide any explanation and were also silent about how many new soldiers the country hopes to get and in which units.
Conscription is a sensitive issue in Ukraine, given the growing shortage of infantry and ammunition. The average age of Ukrainian soldiers is about 40, similar to that of the Russian army, military analysts say.
Some Ukrainians fear that excluding young adults from the workforce will have a negative effect, as it will further damage the war-ravaged economy, while the lack of soldiers has become an urgent problem as Kyiv prepares for the upcoming Russian offensive in the summer.
Zelensky has rarely mentioned the issue of mobilization, but it has been the subject of lengthy debates in parliament in recent months.
Last December, Zelensky announced that the Ukrainian armed forces wanted to mobilize up to 500,000 more soldiers. Such a broad mobilization would cost Ukraine $13.4 billion, Zelensky said at the time.
It should also be considered whether the soldiers who are currently at the front will be changed on a rotational basis or sent home on leave, the president added.
Statistics from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine show that in October there were almost 800,000 soldiers in the Ukrainian army. This number does not include the National Guard and other units. In total, approximately one million Ukrainians have donned the uniforms.
