The saying that "war is old men talking and young men dying" is currently less applicable to Ukraine where the lower age limit for conscription and battle is 27.
However, as Brain Bonner has explained in an opinion piece in the Kyiv Independent, Ukraine is considering lowering this age limit: "Over two years into Russia’s full-scale war, this leaves Ukraine’s exhausted armed forces with soldiers who are, on average, in their 40s and well past their physical prime for hard combat."
With Ukraine's population (around 41 million) approximately 3.5 times less than Russia's 143 million, it would seem that Ukraine is at a decisive disadvantage, especially considering allies' reluctance to send combat troops.
However, Ukraine's morale and level of mobilisation far exceeds that of Russia, reflected in the Ukrainian rule under current martial law that men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country.
Russia too has its problems and its massive population may be misleading. Putin tentatively conscripted nearly 150 000 more soldiers for the spring 2024 campaign, perhaps nervous that his popularity may begin to slide when more Russian sons die.
Russia has only acknowledged officially that it is at war for a week, strictly enforcing the Newspeak that it is only involved in a "Special Operation".
Sources: Kyiv Independent, Reuters, CBS, Radio Poland
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