Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday approved a law on Tuesday for the conscription of more men against the Russian invasion, a controversial text as it does not provide for a demobilization period for the conscripts.

According to a statement published on the website of the Ukrainian parliament (Rada), the text was submitted yesterday to the president who then signed it.

Ukraine, faced with a shortage of volunteers, has been working on the text for months, rife with controversy after more than two years of war against the Russian invader.

On April 11, the Ukrainian parliament approved the bill with 283 votes in favor.

This text, which increases penalties for insubordination, caused a scandal due to the deletion at the last minute of a clause that provided for the demobilization of soldiers who have served 36 months, a severe blow to soldiers who have been fighting at the front for the past two-plus years.

The authorities assured that the issue of demobilization will be regulated by a separate law, but no date has been set for its preparation and approval.

The Ukrainian army, weakened after a failed counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 and with Western aid running dry, is trying to fend off Russian attacks on several fronts.

For this reason he needs men and ammunition. Struggling to find volunteers, Kiev expanded conscription by lowering the age of conscription from 27 to 25.

From now on, the penalties for those who attempt to evade conscription will be stricter. The law also facilitates recruitment procedures by creating a special digital system.

Ukraine admitted on Sunday that the situation is “tense” on its eastern border, where Russia’s “outnumbered” army is increasingly pushing to capture the strategic Chasiv Yar site against Ukrainian forces with low ammunition reserves. Chasiv Yar is located 20 km west of Bahmut.

The head of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Sirsky, said earlier this week that the situation on the eastern front had “deteriorated”.