Military conscription in Denmark, Norway, Ukraine, Russia and Israel

The Norwegian government plans to increase the number of conscripted soldiers from 9,000 to 13,500 by 2036. The number of conscripts accepted for initial service will gradually increase each year. Denmark also plans to increase the number of young people doing military service by extending conscription to women and increasing the duration of service from four to 11 months. The Danish government aims to increase the number of new soldiers by 300 to reach 5,000 conscripts.

Ukraine has decided to lower the minimum age for military conscription from 27 to 25. According to Ukrainian population data, of the 11.1 million men aged 25 to 60, approximately 3.7 million are eligible for mobilisation. The rest are either fighting, disabled, out of the country, or considered critical workers. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that over 100,000 people have enlisted in the Russian armed forces since the beginning of 2024, and the registrations intensified after the terrorist attack on the Moscow concert hall in March this year.

Extensive privileges that exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from compulsory military service in Israel have deeply divided the state and shaken the government coalition. Israeli activists condemning the exemption from military conscription of privileged Jews protested in a religious district of Jerusalem, sparking clashes with the police.