Ukraine to Draft About 21,000 Recruits in Spring - Defense Ministry

Sputnik News

16:33 31.03.2015(updated 16:42 31.03.2015)

About 21,000 recruits will be drafted into the regular army in April-May, Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced in a statement Tuesday.

KIEV (Sputnik) – More than 12,000 recruits will join the Ukraine security forces, over 7,000 will join the National Guard, and 1,000 recruits will join the Special Transportation Service, the statement said, adding that new draftees would not serve in conflict zone in eastern Ukraine.

The spring draft would cost over $84 million, about $4 for each recruit.

In January, Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, adopted an edict detailing three steps of conscription in 2015. In 2014, the same number of drafts had been conducted.

In January, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that many Ukrainians are dodging mobilization by entering Russia to avoid being sent to the conflict zone as 'cannon fodder.'

Following the government breakdown Kiev had to relaunch conscription, halted in 2013 according to an earlier military reform stipulating a smaller regular army.

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