Russia considers allowing over-40s to fight Ukraine war

Move comes amid claims of heavy losses for Russian army

Russian soldiers guard part of the Ilyich Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol, Ukraine, on 18 May, 2022

(AFP via Getty Images)

Russia’s parliament could allow people over 40 to join the military, as it struggles to make territorial gains in eastern Ukraine.

Since it launched its invasion on 24 February, the Kremlin has reportedly been beset by heavy losses of personnel and military hardware. Exact numbers are disputed, but more than 15,000 Russian troops died in the first two months of the war, according to the British defence secretary Ben Wallace.

In an apparent effort to increase the strength of its depleted army, the Russian state Duma said on Friday that it would consider a bill to raise the age of military enrolment.