The USA urges Ukraine to lower the conscription age from 25 to 18 years.

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has advised Ukraine to reconsider its mobilization rules in order to increase the size of its armed forces.

Source. This was reported by Associated Press citing an anonymous source in the White House.

According to the publication's informant, Washington insists on lowering the draft age in Ukraine from the current 25 years to 18. The American administration believes this would expand the mobilization reserve and allow for a quicker replenishment of the Ukrainian army's ranks.

The source emphasized that the situation on the battlefield requires a significant increase in troop numbers, and Ukraine's current efforts in mobilization and training new servicemen are inadequate.

According to estimates from Kyiv, the Ukrainian army needs approximately 160,000 additional servicemen, but Washington believes that this figure should be higher, stated a representative of the White House.

Russian forces continue to advance in eastern Ukraine and are also pushing the Armed Forces of Ukraine out of the Kursk region.

“Additional mobilization and an increase in personnel could change the situation on the battlefield,” the source noted.

Furthermore, Associated Press, citing European officials, reports that allies in Western Europe have previously expressed concerns to President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the issues of the Ukrainian army's size. In their view, the lack of troops could become a critical factor limiting Ukraine's ability to continue operations, including those taking place in the Kursk region.

European partners stressed that the main issue remains the shortage of personnel, rather than weapons.

Background. Recall that The Economist, referencing data from Western intelligence, defense officials, open sources, and the Ua Losses website, reported that Ukraine may have lost between 60,000 to 100,000 servicemen killed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. Additionally, around 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to the publication, may have sustained severe injuries.