Current Average Age of Ukrainian Soldiers Estimated at About 43
"Enduring with a Sense of Duty but Growing Increasingly Exhausted"
As the war between Russia and Ukraine approaches its second year, reports have emerged that the aging of soldiers is hindering the Ukrainian military.
On the 21st (local time), British daily The Times reported that the average age of the Ukrainian military is estimated to be about 43 years. This is significantly higher than the upper average age limit of most countries' militaries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, where soldiers are mostly in their late 20s to 30s. According to an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, there are even brigades with an average age of 54.
The current size of the Ukrainian military is known to be about 800,000. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, many middle-aged Ukrainian men volunteered to protect their families. However, as the deployment of younger troops to replace them has been delayed, the average age of the military has increased.
Most middle-aged soldiers believed at the time of enlistment that the war would end quickly and that younger troops would soon be reinforced. However, both have been delayed. The Times reported, "Meanwhile, middle-aged soldiers who have been holding the front lines for nearly two years are completely exhausted physically and emotionally."
Ukrainian soldiers learning how to use mines and other explosives on the Donetsk front line [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]
Last December, the American daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited a military expert and former general of the Ukrainian army, pointing out that most of the older recruits come from rural villages or small towns and are from impoverished backgrounds.
Young people in big cities tend to have relatively higher incomes, making it easier for them to avoid military service by paying bribes, and employees of large corporations may be exempt from military duty, which may have led to this outcome. On the other hand, in rural areas, many cannot afford to pay bribes, and unlike in cities, residents know each other's circumstances well, making it much harder to evade military service.
In Ukraine, voluntary enlistment is possible from the age of 18, but until the age of 27, the state cannot forcibly conscript individuals into the war. Currently, a bill is being pushed to lower the compulsory conscription age to 25, but progress has been slow. Additionally, Ukraine has a smaller absolute population compared to Russia, making it inevitably difficult to find young soldiers.
An anonymous senior soldier said, "The quality of the junior soldiers is declining," adding, "They are rural people aged 43 to 50 and often have health problems."
However, The Times reported, "Many middle-aged soldiers are still fighting on the front lines out of a sense of responsibility to protect the younger generation from the war." 55-year-old soldier Oleksandr Avanesov said, "I don't want to see twenty-year-olds fighting," adding, "They are the flower of Ukraine who need to bear and raise children."
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