British officials have stated that the country could be pulled into a full-scale conflict with Moscow
The UK government is planning to extend the call-up age for reservists to prepare the army for a potential war with Russia, The Telegraph reported Thursday, citing sources.
Per the newspaper, the plan would raise the maximum age at which retired soldiers can be recalled from 55 to 65. Veterans would form a strategic reserve that could be mobilized to support regular forces.
The proposed reform would also adjust the conditions under which retired personnel can be summoned back to service. Current rules allow call-ups only in cases of “national danger, great emergency or attack,” but the new framework would lower the threshold to “warlike preparations.”
These measures are reportedly part of a new armed forces bill set to be introduced in Parliament. They are expected to expand the pool of service personnel by tens of thousands.
The British Army is currently at its smallest size in over two centuries, with fewer than 70,000 fully trained full-time servicemen ready for frontline deployment. The UK previously committed to increasing the force to 76,000 by 2029 but added just 240 soldiers over the past year
british army size history
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The initiative is said to be driven by concerns that Britain could be drawn into direct confrontation with Russia. The UK has been one of Ukraine’s main backers in its conflict with Russia, providing financial and , and British officials have partly the involvement by claiming Moscow could attack Europe once the fighting ends. Earlier this month, London announced it would seek to deploy British troops to Ukraine alongside France if a ceasefire deal between Moscow and Kiev is reached.
Russia has claims that it poses a military threat to Britain or Europe as “nonsense,” arguing such rhetoric is used to justify inflated defense budgets, divert public attention from domestic problems, and stall peace efforts.
Moscow has also repeatedly opposed any foreign troop deployments near its borders. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned last week that any Western military presence in Ukraine would be treated as “intervention.”
Russian officials have long accused London of being a key driver of the Ukraine conflict, alleging the British government is deliberately seeking to prolong hostilities in an effort to confront Russia.