Chmut explained why the Ukrainian army needs young people. He cited the example of DPRK soldiers

Young people are needed by the army because they are potentially physically healthier, they are more easily able to use technology and are not exhausted by three years of a great war, said Taras Chmut, head of the Foundation for Competent Assistance to the Army "Come Back Alive" . He expressed this opinion in an interview with LIGA.net .

"Young people are potentially physically healthier than people who are 40+ or 50+. This is the physiology. They are easier to use technology – the second thing. They are young, they live in them. And thirdly, they are not yet exhausted by three years of a great war, so they still have some energy of enthusiasm," Chmut said .

At the same time, he emphasized that all servicemen, regardless of age, should be provided with proper conditions for training, service and use on the battlefield.

"You have to be equally well trained, equally well provided for, and equally well managed," said the head of the Come Back Alive project.

In the context of attracting young people to the army, Chmut mentioned the participation of North Korean soldiers in the fighting in the Kursk region.

"When the Russians, using them [the DPRK military] – and they had no combat experience, no proper supply of modern technologies, but simply because they are physically strong, young, healthy – actually pushed us completely into Sumy region," he said.

The head of "Come Back Alive" acknowledged that this happened with huge losses, but "the Russians achieved their strategic goal.".

"By Koreans who didn't have all this experience. They didn't know what a Mavic was, and they just ran across the field, like in the Korean War or World War II. They were all killed there, and then the next ones ran. They were all killed, and then the next ones ran. And the next ones were already running," Chmut said .

• the "18-24 Contract" is a project launched by the Ministry of Defense on February 11, 2025, for men of non-conscription age. According to it, Ukrainians aged 18-24 can sign a contract and receive special conditions ( more details here ).
• This project appeared against the background of the Ukrainian authorities' refusal to lower the age of mobilization .