Average age of mobilized recruits joining Ukraine’s Air Assault forces is 35–44

This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by Colonel Oleksandr Kupinskyi, Head of the 199th Training Center of the AFU Air Assault Forces.

"Most of the mobilized personnel who come to us are aged between 35 and 44. I have seen men well over 40 who are physically stronger than young men aged 26–27," Kupinskyi noted.

In his opinion, age is a rather relative concept, as everything depends on the lifestyle a person led as a civilian.

"In 2022–2023, we conducted very rigorous selection. Of all the people who came to us, we selected only 50–60%. Everyone had to pass physical fitness tests during the selection process. We conducted medical examinations and carried out in-depth assessments of their moral and psychological qualities, as well as their professional suitability. As a result, a great many people were screened out. However, in 2020–2023, most of those coming to us were people who stood in queues because they wanted to join the Armed Forces," the training center chief added.

According to him, an air assault trooper today is not someone straight out of a glossy picture, nor does one need to be 190 cm tall and broad-shouldered. Above all, a person must be healthy, mentally resilient and confident.

"We can turn that person into an air assault trooper if they also have the motivation," Kupinskyi remarked.

The colonel stressed that territorial recruitment and social support centers are now familiar with the Air Assault Forces' selection requirements and therefore refer suitable candidates. Individuals classified as having limited fitness for military service are not assigned to these forces.

If a person believes they have limited fitness for military service and feels that their medical examination at the recruitment center was insufficient, the training center conducts a more thorough assessment of the trainee's health to determine whether this is indeed the case.

As Ukrinform reported, the Ukrainian Armed Forces currently have the greatest need for service members aged 23–45.