President Joe Biden’s administration is urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of troops as young as 18.

The United States is urging Ukraine to “look hard” at removing policy mandates that limit the nation to drafting soldiers aged 25 and up, a senior administration official told The Hill on Wednesday. They’ve suggested lowering the age to 18,

Ukraine has taken steps to broaden the pool of draft-eligible men, but the efforts have only scratched the surface against a much larger Russian military.

Ukraine has lost over 40% of the territory in Russia's Kursk region that it captured in a surprise incursion in August as Russian forces have mounted waves of counter-assaults, a senior Ukrainian military source said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has deployed nearly 50,000 troops to Kursk, the southern Russian region where Kyiv launched its surprise counteroffensive in the summer.

KYIV, Ukraine >> Ukraine has lost over 40% of the territory in Russia’s Kursk region that it seized in a surprise incursion in August as Russian forces have mounted waves of counterassaults, a senior Ukrainian military source said.