Ukraine's parliament passed a bill to overhaul the way the armed forces recruit civilians into the army. The decision follows a report by a Ukrainian general who said that Russian forces are 10 times larger on the ground than Ukrainian ones.
The bill, which has set aside heavy fines for civilians who refuse, aims to increase the number of troops as several new counteroffensives are reported on the ground.
"Pass this law and the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not let you or the Ukrainian people down," General Yuriy Sodol, the commander of Ukraine's joint forces, told lawmakers.
"We are standing up for our defense with our own strength," he said as lawmakers rose to their feet and applauded.
Military analysts say that Ukraine's armed forces must address acute problems with the number of soldiers, as well as a shortage of artillery shells.