Ukrainian parliamentarians approved a bill that toughens military mobilization. The law extends the penalties for deserters and does not establish a deadline for highly senior military personnel to retire.
The controversial law on military service was approved after a new massive night attack against energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian army is weighed down after the failure of the counteroffensive launched in mid-2023 and delays in the delivery of aid promised by Western powers, at a time when it is trying to contain the onslaught of Russian forces in several positions on the front. "During the night, Russia fired more than 40 missiles and 40 drones at Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the X social network. "Some Shahed missiles and drones were successfully shot down. Unfortunately, only a part of them," he said, adding that the Russians "again attacked essential infrastructure" The Russian attacks left two dead and four wounded in the southern city of Mykolaiv, regional governor Vitaly Kim said.