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Zelensky Signs Law Allowing Ukrainians Over 60 to Join Military in Limited Roles
The Libertarian Institute.org ^ | 31JUL2025 | Kyle Anzalone

Posted on 08/03/2025 8:24:00 AM PDT by Tom Tetroxide

Ukrainians aged 60 and older can now serve in non-combat roles thanks to new legislation. The elderly Ukrainians will need special approval and get medical clearance before enlisting.

The law was passed by the Ukrainian legislature earlier this month and signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, allowing people over the age of 60 to serve in limited roles until martial law in Ukraine is lifted.

While the current martial law authorization is set to lapse next month, Zelensky has requested that lawmakers extend it for an additional 90 days. Zelensky’s presidential term has already expired, and he has used martial law to remain in office.

Zelensky signed the law increasing the age limit as Ukraine continues to struggle with manpower in the war with Russia. Last year, Ukraine lowered its draft age from 27 to 25, but has resisted calls from the US to drop it to 18.

Ukrainian MP Anna Skorokhod explained earlier this month that her country was facing a severe manpower shortage, saying, “Our main problem is people. Nobody is giving us people.”

The MP said that even if President Donald Trump sent more weapons to Ukraine, the “war cannot last forever.”


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: desperation; elderly; proxywar; ukraine; war; welfarewar; zeepwarmustcontinue
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To: Tom Tetroxide
Kyiv Post, Apr 28, 2024, Ukraine: The Over-60s Men of Artillery Unit Volunteers “Steppe Wolves”.

"In Ukraine, a mobile artillery unit called “Steppe Wolves” is functioning as an unofficial group of people who are dedicated to destroying Russian targets. The members of the group are mostly men who are over 60 years of age. Even though they are considered too old to fight, their zeal to fight for their country is immense. There are also younger men who couldn't qualify to join the official defence services. They function on the donations that they receive and use the weapons that they seize from their enemies. The unit is not officially a part of the Ukrainian defence services."
The "Steppe Wolves" are a Ukranian volunteer unit of retirees over 60. They get 122mm BM-21 rockets, mounting improvised launchers on trucks, and performing hit and run attacks on Russian positions.

Older Ukrainians were fighting Russia since the first day of the invasion. This is a step in making the more unorthodox resistance to the Russian invasion more official.

41 posted on 08/03/2025 11:23:29 AM PDT by Widget Jr (⚖⛓️☭ Russia is the career criminal of countries. ☭⛓️⚖)
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To: blackdog

Indeed when all the moving bodies are gaone the white flag comes out.


42 posted on 08/03/2025 11:28:11 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: Tom Tetroxide

It looks like Ukraine is running out of men.


43 posted on 08/03/2025 11:41:53 AM PDT by chud
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To: Tom Tetroxide

Luckily, the Russians will be defeated any day now according to some “information” that I read all the time. So this will be unnecessary, the old timers can just talk about how they would have kicked ass.


44 posted on 08/03/2025 11:43:06 AM PDT by GrumpyOldGuy
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To: Tom Tetroxide

Dipping into the bottom of the barrel is a revealing tell.


45 posted on 08/03/2025 11:48:33 AM PDT by iontheball
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To: ansel12

“Then who are all those troops that President Trump has American troops training, and who are being trained by other NATO countries?”

Are we really training “all those troops”? Look at the Ukrainian 155th Brigade. 5,500 supposedly trained and 3,700 live bodies actually showed up in Ukraine.


46 posted on 08/03/2025 12:28:41 PM PDT by rxh4n1
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To: rxh4n1

That is a blast from the past, perhaps you can look up some of those old threads about that unit trained in France.


47 posted on 08/03/2025 12:41:01 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: Widget Jr

They aren’t actually part of the Ukraine military unless something has recently changed.

“The volunteer unit Steppe Wolves was formed at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Its founders were “ATO participants,” veterans who initially fought against the Russian invasion in 2014 and subsequent years. The unit is not officially incorporated into the Ukrainian military and is not funded by the Army.”


48 posted on 08/03/2025 12:45:12 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: ansel12

Sheesh, you assume a lot, giving the benefit of the doubt to Z on every level. It’s a meat grinder, countless lives are being lost and there’s LOADS of evidence of people being forced into the military (not just arrested). There’s NOTHING good about ‘allowing’ 60 year olds to enter the military. There’s PLENTY they can contribute to a war effort without being enlisted.

The only thing being accomplished in this war is DEATH, clearly you just want it to continue.


49 posted on 08/03/2025 2:21:45 PM PDT by fuzzylogic (welfare state = sharing of poor moral choices among everybody)
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To: ansel12

It was just this year that we got the 155th Brigade story. Did we pay to train 5,500 and there were actually 3,700 real people? I’d say the US taxpayers got ripped off again. Remember how fiercely the Ukes fought against an indepenent aid money audit?


50 posted on 08/03/2025 2:59:10 PM PDT by rxh4n1
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To: rxh4n1

That was France, and before Trump.

President Trump has American troops in Germany training Ukrainians, it is the same American unit that Trump had stationed in Ukraine to train Ukrainians, back in 2018.


51 posted on 08/03/2025 3:31:01 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: fuzzylogic

Don’t make up lies about what I want, I’m against the invasion.

You assumed a lot trying to pawn off authorities arresting draft dodgers or even AWOLs (no one knows) to grabbing people randomly on the street to send to the front

Here is how the invading Army handles age, I don’t know how their brothers in arms, the North Koreans handle age.

Putin Raises Elderly Army as Ex-Serviceman Up to 70 Deemed Eligible-—Published Jul 22, 2023
“The age for men with the highest ranks in the reserves can be called up “remains” at 70. For other senior ranks it has risen to up to 65, while for junior officers, it is now up until the age of 60. Meanwhile, general reservists can be brought back into service until the age of 55, 10 years older than previously.

At the other end of the scale, head of the State Duma Committee on Defense, Andrei Kartapolov, said that the lower limit of the military age of 18 for Russian men will remain the same, reversing a proposal by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to increase it to 21.”
https://www.newsweek.com/putin-raises-elderly-army-serviceman-70-deemed-eligible-russia-ukraine-1814670


52 posted on 08/03/2025 3:36:45 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: ransomnote
Zelensky Putin has been conscripting the old, disabled or otherwise unfit and giving them an hour or two of training before sending them to the front lines.

Why are you accusing the Ukrainians of doing what Putin has been doing for a long while? It is sad to see old Russian men on crutches being sent into meat wave assaults that get them killed, or wounded and left to die in a field.

53 posted on 08/03/2025 6:31:26 PM PDT by freeandfreezing
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To: Jan_Sobieski

You are confusing Ukraine with Russia. Why do you think Putin is so enamored of the Kadyrovites?


54 posted on 08/03/2025 6:33:08 PM PDT by freeandfreezing
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To: freeandfreezing
In the Bloggers & Personal forum, on a thread titled Zelensky Signs Law Allowing Ukrainians Over 60 to Join Military in Limited Rolesfreeandfreezing wrote:
Zelensky Putin has been conscripting the old, disabled or otherwise unfit and giving them an hour or two of training before sending them to the front lines.

Why are you accusing the Ukrainians of doing what Putin has been doing for a long while? It is sad to see old Russian men on crutches being sent into meat wave assaults that get them killed, or wounded and left to die in a field.

Ukrainian agitprop is lazy. Whatever I say about Zelensky, his apologists will line out the text and try to swap it 180 (see your post for reference), and then ask me to explain it. Your tactic is trash, and a waste of my time.


55 posted on 08/03/2025 6:48:56 PM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
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To: Tom Tetroxide

Surely this is a sign that Ukraine is winning...


56 posted on 08/04/2025 11:36:17 AM PDT by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: packrat35
Surely this is a sign that Ukraine is winning...

Yep, they no longer need strong young men to beat the feeble Russian army, should be over in weeks now.

57 posted on 08/04/2025 11:39:52 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: packrat35

58 posted on 08/04/2025 11:51:26 AM PDT by Tom Tetroxide (Psalm 146:3 "Do not trust in princes, in the Son of Man, who has no salvation.")
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To: Tom Tetroxide

Zelensky will kidnap 60 + men off the streets.


59 posted on 08/04/2025 3:46:56 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (Making money now. Still want much more.)
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To: ansel12

So what if Trump had our troops training Ukes? They sure paid him back for that. Zelensky and the Ukes hate President Trump. I guess you forgot Zelensky came tour country last year and interfered in our election to defeat him. He campaigned for Harris. Then he insulted Trump and Vance. Then he went to PA and campaigned with the Democrat Senate candidate. Anyone who helps the Democrats is an enemy of the American people.


60 posted on 08/04/2025 6:48:25 PM PDT by rxh4n1
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