Ukraine plans to mobilize up to half a million new soldiers to combat Russia’s invasion, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The president stated that this decision comes down to “fairness and money” and the country’s defense capability. The move comes as fears grow that Russia could overpower Ukraine due to its population and resources, as western military aid to Ukraine faces US and EU deadlock.
Currently, the Ukrainian army has around 500,000 servicemen, with 200,000 being active military personnel. If the mobilization plans proceed, the total number of servicemen would reach nearly one million. Under Ukrainian law, only men aged 27 to 60 can be mobilized for the front line, with younger men able to volunteer to fight.
While the exact number of Ukrainian casualties is not publicly disclosed, estimates of the number of Ukrainian men killed in the conflict have varied between 30,000 and 70,000.
Comparatively, the Russian army has about four times more active military personnel than Ukraine, with 1,330,900 men and 250,000 reservists. The United States and Britain also have significant numbers of military personnel, with the US having around 1,832,000 troops and Britain having approximately 231,000.