Ukraine: Recruitment Law Sparks Widespread Controversy

The Ukrainian parliament approved a controversial military mobilization bill today, according to deputies, as it does not specify a timeframe for the discharge of soldiers, angering many military personnel and their families. Deputy Oleksii Honcharenko stated on Telegram, "The mobilization law was approved with the support of 283 deputies," at a time when Ukraine faces a shortage of volunteer soldiers after more than two years of war with Russia. Lawmakers had delayed for several months on the legislation, which is expected to be unpopular. The law was proposed at the request of military leadership, led by former army commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who indicated that Ukraine needs up to 500,000 new recruits to strengthen its military ranks.