MOSCOW, February 6 (RAPSI) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a bill raising the maximum age for compulsory military service to 27. The law also limits the reasons for deferred service and introduces criminal liability for draft evasion.

On January 15, Ukrainian parliament approved Poroshenko’s decree on three stages of partial mobilization in 2015.

During the first stage, some 50,000 conscripts will be drafted to serve. The Defense Ministry earlier warned that in case of escalation in the special operation area, 13,500 men would be summoned in late April and 40,000 between June and September. Moreover, 40,000 soldiers would be conscripted for compulsory service. Eventually, a total number of mobilized personnel in 2015 could reach 144,000.