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Ukrainian generals want to mobilize up to half a million new soldiers to push back Putin's invading army, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Mr. Zelensky said he had not yet made a final decision on the military's request, saying it was a question of “fairness and money” and Ukraine's defense capability.
This comes amid fears that Russia could wear down Kiev's army with its huge population and resources, while Western military aid to Ukraine is at a US and EU impasse.
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“I said I needed more arguments to support this step,” the president said. “Because firstly it is a question of people, secondly it is a question of fairness, it is a question of defense capability and it is a question of finances.”
But how many troops does Ukraine have and how does it compare to the US and British armies?
Volodymyr Zelensky said he had not yet made a decision on the proposal as it was a question of “fairness”.
(AP)
Ukraine
According to the latest figures, the Ukrainian army numbered around 500,000 military personnel, including 200,000 active military personnel.
If the numbers are correct, the Ukrainian army's proposal would bring the total number of soldiers to almost one million.
Under Ukrainian law, only men aged 27 to 60 can be mobilized to the front, but younger men can volunteer to fight. As of January 2022, Ukraine had a male population of 19 million.
Men aged 18 to 20 cannot be sent to the battlefield. Most Ukrainian soldiers at the front are believed to be volunteers, many of whom have been fighting since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
Estimates of the number of Ukrainian men killed in the conflict vary between 30,000 and 70,000. In November, a Ukrainian citizens group put the death toll at 30,000.
However, US military sources believe the number is closer to 70,000. Kiev treats its losses as a state secret and officials say disclosing the figure could harm its war effort.
Ukrainian soldiers go to their base in Donetsk, Ukraine, earlier this year. The Ukrainian army wants to mobilize 500,000 more soldiers
(AFP via Getty Images)
Russia
The Russian army has around four times more active military personnel than Ukraine, around 1,330,900 troops and 250,000 reservists. In 2021, Russia had a male population of around 66 million.
In July, the Russian parliament raised the maximum age for conscription for men from 27 to 30, increasing the number of young men who will be required to serve a year of compulsory military service starting January 1, 2024.
This means that men between the ages of 18 and 30 must complete one year of military service or equivalent training during higher education, rather than between 18 and 27.
The law also prevents men from evading the draft by prohibiting them from leaving Russia from the day they are called up to a draft office.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sits with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Russia has raised the maximum age for conscription from 27 to 30 years
(Sputnik)
US
According to recent figures, the US Army has around 1,832,000 military personnel. In 2022, the US had a male population of 165 million.
Up to 1,390,000 of these troops are expected to be active personnel and 442,000 reserve soldiers. There is currently no compulsory military service in the United States.
But all men between the ages of 18 and 25 must register with the Selective Service, a government agency that maintains a list of U.S. citizens who may be subject to military draft. This allows the U.S. Congress to identify and call all men of fighting age in the event of a major conflict.
The United States implemented conscription six times: in the American Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
The U.S. Army has an estimated total military personnel of 1,832,000
(AFP via Getty Images)
Great Britain
The British Army has an estimated total military personnel of 231,000. Of these, up to 194,000 are active and 37,000 are reservists. There were 29 million men living in the UK in 2021.
Conscription has only been introduced twice in the UK. It was introduced during the First and Second World Wars and lasted four and 21 years, respectively.