Ukraine lowered its draft age to 25
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law lowering Ukraine’s draft age from 27 to 25, an attempt to replenish the ranks of a battered army that could create a political backlash. He also signed laws to eliminate some medical exemptions and create a database to crack down on draft dodgers.
Parliament passed the draft law last May, but Zelensky had delayed signing it in the hope that it would not be needed. But casualty rates are high, most men who want to volunteer have already done so, and many soldiers have been in combat continuously for two years.
Russia has been on the offensive, and Ukraine’s generals have warned of a broader attack in the spring or the summer. Even with an influx of new soldiers and much-needed weaponry from the U.S., Ukraine is expected this year to hold the existing front lines — at best.
Concerns: Lowering the draft age will mobilize thousands of healthy and rested soldiers, but it poses long-term risks for Ukraine’s population, given the country’s demographics.
NATO: The alliance’s top diplomat said that it was poised to take more control over military support for Ukraine from the U.S. amid worries about the reliability of American aid, especially if Donald Trump returns to the White House.
What happened to the aid convoy hit in Gaza
The seven workers killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes were returning to Rafah at night after transporting tons of food from a World Central Kitchen ship to a warehouse near Dier al Balah. The charity said that the Israeli military had been informed of the aid workers’ movements before their convoy was attacked.
“It was a mistake that followed a misidentification, at night during the war in a very complex condition,” the Israeli military’s chief of staff said in a video. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
Videos and photos verified by The New York Times suggested that the convoy had been hit several times. Weapons experts said that the three vehicles had each been struck by small, precise munitions, most likely fired from a drone.
Hunger: World Central Kitchen said it was suspending operations in the Gaza Strip and sent three ships with hundreds of tons of desperately needed food back to Cyprus. Other aid groups are weighing their options.
Biden’s response: The president said he was “outraged and heartbroken” by the killings, but the White House has been silent on whether the tragedy would lead to conditions on the weapons the U.S. sends to Israel.
