Israeli military analyst offers perspective on ‘old’ average age of Ukrainian soldiers
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Only Ukraine can decide whether to mobilize
younger men in light of a prolonged conflict, military analyst Yigal Levin, an
officer of the Israeli Defense Forces, said in an interview with Radio NV on
Oct. 3.
Levin was responding to the words of former
UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace, who suggested that it might be “time” to
reconsider the demographics of mobilization in Ukraine. In a recent column
published in the UK newspaper the Telegraph, the former minister wrote that the
average age of Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines is over 40.
“I understand President Zelensky’s desire
to preserve the young for the future, but the fact is that Russia is mobilizing
the whole country by stealth,” Wallace added.
Commenting on this perspective, Levin
speculated that “Wallace may not have seen Ukraine’s demographic ‘Christmas
tree’ – the reason why the young are not being drawn into the war.”
“The obvious answer here as to why the
Ukrainian authorities are doing this is that Ukraine itself will decide whom it
calls up for its Armed Forces, with all due respect to Wallace,” emphasized Levin.
“There is a very clear understanding of the
complex demographic situation and demographic future of Ukraine. I believe that
there are no foolish people in the leadership of Ukraine,” Levin said.
In response to the host’s clarifying
question about whether 40-year-old Ukrainian soldiers could be experienced
individuals who have long known what war with Russia is like, as it has been
ongoing since 2014, the Israeli analyst replied, “You can make any assumption
you want. Once again, this is a decision of the Ukrainian authorities,
primarily linked to strategic thinking and plans for generations ahead.”
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