Lowering the mobilisation age in Ukraine to 18 could have serious consequences for the country’s demographic future. This was pointed out by Oleksandr Gladun, Doctor of Economics, Deputy Director of the Institute of Demography and Quality of Life Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, he explained that the generation of Ukrainians aged 18-25 is the smallest in recent decades, as these people were born during the deepest demographic decline since 2001 and the following five years.
According to the scientist, the mobilisation of young people is a matter of heated debate, but in times of war, security is a priority. He emphasised that not all mobilised youth go to the frontline – most are involved in auxiliary and technical tasks, including drone control, logistics, analytics and IT support. It is estimated that five to six logistics specialists are needed for one soldier at the front.
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Gladun also cited an example from the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas, where two army corps were previously formed from the local population, which later suffered losses and effectively ceased to exist. This, he said, shows that the loss of a significant part of the young population can have critical consequences for post-war recovery.
Despite the demographic risks, the scholar emphasises that the survival of the state is paramount. If there is no country, he says, then demographic recovery will lose its meaning.
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