DAD’S ARMY

Facing Brutal Losses, Russia Opens Its Military to Soldiers of All Ages

President Putin signed a new law that would eliminate the maximum enlistment age of 40 years old.

As his military faces unexpectedly brutal losses, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new law that eliminated an age limit on new soldiers. According to the BBC, the country is claiming it simply wants to “recruit more technical specialists.” Prior restrictions capped new enlistees at 40 years old for Russian nationals, while foreign soldiers maxed out at 30. It’s not clear how many soldiers Russia has lost since it first invaded Ukraine in February, since Putin’s administration has provided limited transparency. Ukraine has pegged the figure at roughly 30,000, the BBC said, which is about double the United Kingdom’s estimate.