Will the mobilization age be lowered in 2026: what was said in the President's Office

In Ukraine, there are no plans to lower the mobilization age below 25 years in 2026. The authorities are also not considering changes regarding the departure of men aged 18–23 abroad. The position of the state was reported by the Deputy Head of the President's Office Pavlo Palisa in an interview with “RBK-Ukraine”. 

According to him, currently both issues are not on the agenda.

Will the mobilization age change in 2026

The President's Office confirmed that the key rules will remain unchanged:

• lowering the mobilization age below 25 years is not being considered

• no plans for changes regarding the departure of men aged 18–23.

Pavlo Palisa emphasized: 

«At the moment, both positions - this is not being considered».

At the same time, he noted that the situation with mobilization has improved recently, allowing the Defense Forces to perform tasks more steadily.

What is happening with mobilization in Ukraine now

According to the representative of the Office, in 2026, positive dynamics were achieved:

• improved recruitment process

• resolved some organizational problems

• improved overall mobilization efficiency.

«For the last 10 months, we have had a significantly better situation for mobilization», - declared Palisa.

Despite this, the system still needs improvement, and the corresponding work is ongoing.

It should be noted that in April 2024, the mobilization age in Ukraine was already lowered from 27 to 25 years. The issue of further age reduction is periodically raised, especially by international partners, but the Ukrainian authorities do not support such an initiative.

The Command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also refuted information about the forced mobilization of women, stating that no mechanisms for the mobilization of women are being developed.