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Ukrainian Parliament Recommends Resumption Of Mandatory Conscription


Members of the newly founded Ukrainian National Guard take part in a training session on the Noviy Petrivtsi shooting range near Kyiv last month.
Members of the newly founded Ukrainian National Guard take part in a training session on the Noviy Petrivtsi shooting range near Kyiv last month.
The Ukrainian parliament has adopted a resolution recommending that acting President Oleksandr Turchynov resume mandatory drafting of conscripts into the country's army.

The resolution "on additional measures for strengthening Ukraine's defense capability in connection with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine" was adopted on April 17.

Kyiv announced the last mandatory drafting of conscripts into the Ukrainian Army in October, saying that by the end of 2014 the Ukrainian armed forces would be comprised of professional soldiers only.

Ukraine -- which currently has the fifth-largest army in Europe, with 180,000 soldiers -- planned to decrease the total to 122,000 soldiers by 2017.

According to the old law, all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 27 must serve for one year in the national army or for 18 months in the Ukrainian Navy.
Based on reporting by UNIAN and Interfax

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