Ukraine: a new mobilization law against a backdrop of massive bombings

The Ukrainian parliament voted Thursday a controversial law to mobilize more men in the face of attacks from Russia which has, as for she, carried outé new massive bombings to destroy Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Once again, around forty missiles and as many drones targeted the Ukrainian electricity network, so much so that President Volodymyr Zelensky implored his Western allies to provide his country with air defense systems as quickly as possible.

At the same time, faced with multiple ground attacks on the front line, Ukraine, which suffers from a shortage of volunteer soldiers, has finally adopted a new law on mobilization, after months of heated debates within a society scarred by two years of Russian invasion.

“It's done!! The law on mobilization is adopted. 283 (deputies voted) in favor”, MP Oleksiï Goncharenko welcomed on Telegram.

Ukraine: positions of military forces © AFP – Valentin RAKOVSKY, Sophie RAMIS, Cléa PECULIER

The president of the Rada, the unicameral parliament, must now hand it over to Volodymyr Zelensky for promulgation so that it comes into force.

This text, which notably increases the sanctions against those who resist, caused a scandal due to the last minute deletion of a clause providing for the demobilization of soldiers who had served 36 months, a hard blow for the soldiers present on the front for more than two years.

– “Very unfair” –

Ukrainian soldiers on a position in the Zaporizhia region, April 6, 2024 © AFP – Roman PILIPEY

This decision therefore immediately sparked controversy, especially since the current enlistment system is considered by many Ukrainians to be unfair, inefficient and often corrupt.

“99% men want to rest”, explained to AFP Iévguén, a 39-year-old paratrooper based in the eastern region of Donetsk.

“There are soldiers who do not have not returned home for a year. It is very unfair.”

Instead, the government will be responsible for soon drafting another bill on “the 'improvement of military personnel rotation mechanisms'.

For Volodymyr Zelensky, the important thing, he said recently, is not to lose military skills at the time of replacement of soldiers engaged on the front for months with new arrivals.

A military recruitment poster in kyiv, April 9, 2024 in Ukraine © AFP – Sergei SUPINSKY

However, the fact remains that the Ukrainian army, weakened by an aborted counter-offensive in the summer of 2023 and Western aid which is running out, must renew its troops, already understaffed in the face of a Russian army which is stocking up on volunteers and strong. of an economy geared towards the war effort.

To this end, Mr. Zelensky had already approved at the beginning of April the reduction from 27 to 25 years of age of mobilization.

– “Objectives achieved” –

On the ground, Russia fired into the night from Wednesday to Thursday more than 40 missiles and 40 drones against Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

A building destroyed by Russian strikes in Kharkiv, April 9, 2024 © AFP – Roman PILIPEY

The Russian Defense Ministry described these bombings as a “response” to Ukrainian strikes in recent weeks on Russian territory, in particular on refineries. Ukraine declared that its attacks were themselves retaliation for the daily attacks of the Russians.

“The objectives have been achieved. All targets have been hit,” said the Russian ministry.

In total, the Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have shot down 39 drones and 18 missiles.

But the damage is there. According to Energy Minister German Galushchenko, “production facilities and transmission systems” were targeted in the regions of kyiv, Kharkiv (north-east), Zaporizhia (southeast) and Lviv (west).

A large thermal power plant near the capital was “completely destroyed”, said a representative of the managing company.

In addition, four people were killed and five others injured in Mykolaiv, in the south, “in broad daylight” on Thursday during a Russian air attack, the Ukrainian army said. “Residential buildings and private cars were damaged. Damage to industrial facilities was also noted,” she added.

Faced with Russian soldiers on the offensive, Volodymyr Zelensky is asking his Western partners for more ammunition and especially anti-aircraft defense systems, starting with American Patriots.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting with the Lithuanian President in Vilnius, April 11, 2024 © AFP – PETRAS MALUKAS

“The main thing now is to do everything to strengthen our anti-aircraft defense, to meet urgent needs (…) as well as to consolidate international support in order to defeat Russian terror”, wrote Mr. Zelensky on social networks during a trip to Lithuania.

The Ukrainian head of state also announced the signing of an agreement ten-year agreement with Latvia which includes annual military support from this country to Ukraine “up to 0.25% of GDP”.

The Kremlin has, of its side, judged Thursday that talks on Ukraine without Russia had “no sense”, after Switzerland declared the day before to organize such a conference for mid-June without Russian representation but in the presence of around a hundred 'other countries.

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