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Military Personnel - Conscription

The male population of Ukraine is divided into three categories: the first includes those who voluntarily came to military recruitment offices in the first days and weeks of the war and took up arms; the second category includes those who did not want to go to war but went to the front after being mobilized. The third category includes those who do not want to go to war and are looking for any opportunity to avoid mobilization. Those who risked their lives on the front line day in and day out don't have such a good opinion of those who hide from mobilization. Obviously, after the war there will be tension between these two categories.

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are doing everything possible to avoid mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). This was announced 13 October 2023 by the country's Deputy Minister of Defense Natalia Kalmykova. “Unfortunately, we see a lot of situations <...> when people do not want and are going to avoid mobilization in any way, the need to defend their country. <...> There are a lot of people, this is measured in tens, hundreds of thousands people who create the conditions for themselves in order to avoid mobilization [into the Ukrainian army],” she said on the Rada TV channel. According to Kalmykova, the country’s authorities are currently preparing changes to regulations that “will help resolve this issue.”

General mobilization has been extended in Ukraine several times already. The country's authorities are doing everything possible to prevent men of military age from evading service; they are prohibited from traveling abroad, and summonses are issued in government agencies, cafes, on the streets, and in any crowded places. The unified electronic register of those liable for military service “Obereg” is already 90% complete, which, as many Ukrainian media write, can become a tool for tightening control over those liable for military service and a new strengthening of mobilization.

Earlier, a representative of the Poltava regional military registration and enlistment office, Roman Istomin, said that all those liable for military service in Ukraine must be prepared to be sent to the front. At the same time, stories regularly appear in the media and local social networks about how military commissars use force when issuing summonses, people who are unfit for service for health reasons are subject to mobilization, as well as how deputies and officials evade service themselves and are taken abroad their sons of military age.

All persons liable for military service in Ukraine must independently appear at the military registration and enlistment offices to clarify the data, including female doctors. This was stated 14 October 2023 by the head of the public relations service of the command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Vladimir Fityo.

“Now I would like to remind everyone that the duty to defend one’s country is spelled out in the Constitution of Ukraine, and in order to be ready to fulfill one’s duty to protect Ukraine, one must report to one’s territorial recruitment and social support centers (TCC, as military registration and enlistment offices are called in Ukraine - TASS note) and update your credentials. <...> The same applies to female doctors. You need to appear in person at the TCC, provide the entire list of documents that you have, and then everything will be fine with us," - he said on air on the Rada TV channel.

According to him, this is necessary so that “the resources that currently exist in the TCC are used correctly,” as well as to provide a deferment to those who are entitled to it. At the same time, in September, Ukraine expanded the list of those eligible for mobilization and reduced the list of medical contraindications.

Fityo emphasized that mobilization in Ukraine now concerns men aged 18 to 60 years. On October 1, requirements for military registration of women with medical or pharmaceutical education came into force in Ukraine. However, as Fityo noted, there are no queues at the military registration and enlistment offices. According to him, the military registration of women is necessary for the state to assess the reserve of medical workers.

Conscription was abolished in 2012, but reintroduced in 2014. ‘The legal basis of military service and military service is the Constitution of Ukraine, this Law, the Law of Ukraine “On Defense of Ukraine”, “ On the Armed Forces of Ukraine” , “On Mobilization Training and Mobilization”, other laws of Ukraine and adopted in accordance with decrees of the President of Ukraine and other regulations on ensuring the state’s defense capabilities, military service, military service, service in the military reserve and the status of servicemen, as well as international treaties of Ukraine, approved by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The conscription age in Ukraine is 18, with approximately 250,000 males and 250,000 females reaching draft age each year. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, President ZELENSKY announced a general mobilization of the country, and by the end of 2022 Ukraine had perhaps 1,000,000 troops under arms. Women have been able to volunteer for military service since 1993; as of 2023, approximately 60,000 women were serving in the armed forces.

Following the Russian invasion in 2022, all nonexempt men ages 18 to 60 were required to register with their local recruitment offices and undergo medical screening for possible service. This cohort probably numbers about 11,250,000. The Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) accepts volunteers, 18-60 years of age; since the invasion, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians volunteered for the regular armed forces, the TDF, or to work in civilian defense activities.

Ukraine prohibited men 18 to 60 from leaving the country. The Financial Times reported 12 August 2023 that "A total of 13,600 men have been caught attempting to cross into neighbouring countries outside the official checkpoints and another 6,100 have been arrested using fake documents at regular border crossings, said Ukrainian border guard spokesperson Andiry Demchenko. The daily numbers have dropped in recent months, to about a third of what they were at the start of the invasion, he said.... Ukraine’s ground forces said there were sufficient numbers of men registered for current and future mobilisation purposes."

The Ukrainian State Border Guard said in 2023 that an average of 20 men per day are arrested for trying to leave the country. At least 90 Ukrainian draft dodgers and deserters are thought to have died by June 2023 trying to escape over the border into Romania. In September, 2022, during the Russia-Ukraine war over 600,000 mobilization-eligible Russian citizens left Russia to avoid the draft.

The number who successfully evade conscription by leaving the country is not reported, by definition. The percentage of mililtary age men who are physically fit for service is unknown, but in many countries possibly a fifth of potential applicants are dis-qualified on medical grounds. The 4F classification in the U.S. selective service for the military means that a person is not fit for military duty due to medical, mental, or moral issues, or other concerns.

The percentage of those classified as 4F during World War II was significant. Out of the approximately 18 million men examined by the Selective Service System from 1940 to 1946, about 6 million (or roughly 33%) were rejected, with the vast majority of them receiving a 4F classification. This means that about a third of the men examined during the course of the war were found unfit for military service. These numbers were quite high, and one of the reasons for this was the physical condition of many American men at the time. Malnourishment from the Great Depression era, dental issues, and other health problems were relatively common.

In the 1960s, The Army of the Republic of Vietnam found that only some 60% [2.5 million out of 4.4 million] military age men were fit for service. The percentage of American men classified as 4F during the Vietnam War era varied depending on the year and specific criteria for disqualification, which could change or be more rigorously applied as draft pressures increased or decreased. In general, it's estimated that somewhere around 25-30% of the relevant male population was classified as 4F during the peak years of the Vietnam draft. This number would include those disqualified for medical reasons, psychological reasons, criminal records, and other factors that made them ineligible for military service.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on 11 August 2023 that the heads of all Ukraine's regional military recruitment centers were being dismissed from their jobs amid concerns about corruption. The mass firing came as Ukraine urged civilians near the northeastern front line to evacuate on Thursday as Russia ramped up an assault to capture territory already seized once during the conflict. Zelenskyy also said 112 criminal cases were opened against draft board officials suspected of taking bribes and engaging in corrupt practices. Two recruitment officers had been accused in recent days of enriching themselves by falsifying documents that label men as unfit for service — in some cases collecting $10,000 per head.

"This system should be run by people who know exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery during war is treason," he said, adding those fired would be replaced by war veterans and soldiers wounded at the front. Zelensky said top general Valery Zaluzhny would be responsible for implementing the decision and that new candidates for the posts would first be vetted by Ukraine’s domestic security service. Ukraine has faced recruitment challenges as the war with Russia nears the 18-month mark and the military is occasionally hit by scandals revealing graft or heavy-handed recruitment tactics.

He said a state investigation into centers across Ukraine exposed abuses by officials ranging from illegal enrichment to transporting draft-eligible men across the border despite a wartime ban on them leaving the country. Zelenskyy said any sacked army recruitment officers who are not being investigated should head to the front to fight for Ukraine “if they want to keep their epaulettes and prove their dignity”. His harsh rhetoric was likely to be welcomed by Ukrainians appalled by cases of wartime corruption.

“But let me emphasise: the army is not and never will be a substitute for criminal punishment. Officials who confused epaulettes with perks will definitely face trial,” he said. The long-simmering issue of corruption in Ukraine’s draft system burst into the open in June 2023 when a media investigation was published about former head of the Odesa regional military commissariat Yevhen Borysov, igniting a scandal. The investigation reported on millions of dollars’ worth of real estate and luxury vehicles allegedly owned by Borysov’s family members in Spain. Borysov denied any wrongdoing, saying he had nothing to do with what his family bought. Borysov's family had acquired a villa in Spain worth over €3 million, and that his wife purchased an office space on the main street of the Spanish city of Marbella, and several expensive cars. Borisov was taken into custody 25 July 2023.

An investigation by the news outlet Ukrainska Pravda in June 2023 revealed that another military enlistment officer from the southern Odesa region had acquired several hectares of land on the Black Sea, 500 square meters of commercial real estate, and a 938-square-meter parking lot. The officer, Yehor Smirnov, was dismissed and sent to the front lines. Military commissar Smirnov and two servicemen of the security company of the territorial recruitment center were transferred to one of the brigades performing tasks on the frontline. After the reports, Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation and its Security Service detained dozens of draft board staff suspected of bribery and corruption.

According to Valeriy Bolhan, the editor in chief of the independent media outlet Intent and an associate at the Center for Public Investigations, an anti-corruption NGO in Odesa, as many as 50,000 people had paid off military recruiters there to avoid conscription or go abroad. "If you multiply that by $5,000 -- and that's an average price to 'confirm' unfitness for military service -- you get a fortune". Some claim the iconic Black Sea port city, which has a reputation for rampant corruption, has turned into a hotspot for draft evasion schemes. But Bolhan asserted that Odesa is not significantly different to other parts of Ukraine, as malpractice was reported across the whole country.

Because students are exempt from mobilisation, the number of draft-eligible men who registered as students is massive. In the 2022/23 academic year, there are 82 percent more male students in Ukraine than in the previous year. The average age of those who have recently entered universities is about thirty years old. Ukraine’s top military leadership has cancelled exemptions in the martial law regime that had previously allowed male Ukrainians registered at universities abroad to leave the country, State Border Service spokesman Andriy Demchenko stated 22 September 2022. The decision was taken after the discovery that a large number of documents attesting to a Ukrainian’s status as attending a university outside the country had been forged.

Since the invasion, some 6,100 men have been caught at Ukraine’s border crossings trying to get out using counterfeit or fraudulently obtained permissions. Since the invasion began, Ukraine’s State Border Service nabbed some 13,600 people trying to trek across the border. But even so, for every man who is caught, another gets across. Men caught trying to hike across the border can be fined, but not jailed. Those who help them risk prison. Using fraudulent documents is a criminal offence, but crossing the border illegally is not. If they succeed, neighboring countries do not send them back.

On 4 March 2022, Ukrinform reported: "The vast majority of Ukrainians are ready to defend the integrity of Ukraine with weapons in their hands. According to results of a poll conducted by the Sociological group “Rating”, 80% of respondents are ready to defend the integrity of Ukraine with weapons in their hands. Compared to pre-war times, this figure has increased significantly (against 59% in 2020). The highest level of readiness is observed in the west and center of Ukraine, a slightly lower level of readiness – in the south and east. But even in the south-eastern regions, Ukrainians express extremely high level of willingness to fight for the Motherland (in the south – almost 80%, in the east – almost 60%). As noted, 90% of men and 70% of women are ready to fight for Ukraine with weapons."

A general mobilization was announced in Kiev 23 June 2023, as the Ukrainian military suffered mounting losses of manpower and Western-gifted equipment. A corresponding order was signed by the military commissar of the Obolonsky district of the Ukrainian capital, Alexey Privala, According to media reports, the directive was posted on social media, and reprinted by Ukrainian outlets. Ukrainian authorities say 66,374 men exited the country in 2022 using documents that allow volunteers and humanitarian-aid workers to leave.

The decree makes it mandatory for every man subject to be drafted to report to the nearest military recruitment office within the next 10 days. As part of the blanket call-up of all draftees, the order applies even to those who did not receive a personal summons. It also applies to those who are not registered in the Obolonsky district of Kiev, but simply residing there temporarily. All draft evaders will face criminal penalties, the order stated. There is no clarity whether similar directives have been issued regarding other districts of the Ukrainian capital.

It looked like Western countries are ready to fight until the last Ukrainian, Russian President Vladimir Putin said 22 June 2023. "Military] equipment, of course, can be supplied additionally. But the mobilization reserve is not unlimited. And it seems that Ukraine's Western allies really decided to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian," Putin said at a meeting of the Security Council.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 03 August 2023 "... there were reports from Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Malyuk and Minister of Internal Affairs Klymenko. In particular, one of the issues is the inspection of the "military commissars". We talked in detail. The inspection reveals many abuses. Frankly disgusting ones. All the facts revealed by law enforcement officers will be presented to the public and investigated in the framework of criminal proceedings. The conclusion is obvious: the recruitment system needs people who understand the value of defending Ukraine. The value, not the price of decisions. People who have seen the war and gone through it should work in the "military enlistment offices". There are those who, unfortunately, lost their limbs, but did not lose their dignity and did not lose Ukraine. I am grateful to them."

Decree #230/2022 was published on the President's website 14 April 2022. According to the document, the previously set deadlines for regular conscription of Ukrainian citizens for military service in April and June had been canceled. It was also decided that servicemen who had served the agreed terms of military service may be transferred to the reserve "not earlier than after the announcement of demobilization in the prescribed manner."

The motivation of citizens liable for military service to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) has decreased. This was announced on 30 March 2023 by the official representative of the operational command "South" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Natalya Gumenyuk. "At present, the situation in the country has changed significantly. <...> The motivational resource of people has decreased. In addition, many evacuees to safer regions have realized that life can go on without hostilities," she said in an interview with Public.news. Commenting on the situation around the distribution of subpoenas on the streets and in transport by representatives of recruitment centers (as military registration and enlistment offices are called in Ukraine), as well as scandalous videos of forceful detentions of conscripts in various cities of the country, Gumenyuk noted that "this is a necessary measure."

The Ukrainian military lifted a restriction on conscripts that required them to obtain permission if they wanted to leave their registered place of residence.The order was rescinded a day after it was announced, following widespread criticism that also saw President Zelenskyy speak out against the measure. Under the regulation, men aged between 18 and 60 would have needed permission from their local military enlistment office to leave the district where they are registered. In Ukraine, districts are a mid-sized administrative division that are below that of a province and above that of a municipality. Many Ukrainians don't live in their place of registration. Zelenskyy said that this decision had caused "incomprehension" and "outrage" in Ukrainian society and promised that he would "figure it out."

Ukraine’s general mobilization process became shrouded in scandal as the authorities become increasingly desperate in their hunt for new recruits. Cases where law enforcement officers have applied force when handing out conscription notices and illegally delivered men to enlistment offices have given rise to public discontent. However, the Ukrainian authorities clearly have no intention of pausing enlistment because the situation remains critical at some sections of the front. According to the country's legislation, a summons for military duty can only be issued on the street if it specifies the personal data of the person to whom it is given. It is also illegal for military commissars to detain citizens, as they are not the police, and conscripts are not criminals. Yet, that’s exactly how conscription is currently being conducted in Ukraine.

Men of military age were being hunted down, and videos showing military commissars going to extreme lengths to hand out summonses, including by force, constantly circulate on social media. Videos posted online in March 2023 showed Ukrainian recruitment officers wrestling with civilians on the streets, and even dragging them into vehicles. The authorities say these are isolated incidents, but a lawyer from Ukraine's Helsinki Committee says there are "quite a lot" of court proceedings against recruitment centers.

Odessa, in particular, stood out in this respect. For example, military commissars were caught driving around the city in ambulances. When they came across men of the appropriate age, they stopped, handed over summonses and drove on. After videos emerged on social networks, local military commissars had to explain themselves and claimed that they were given the ambulance to use for their work. There were also cases when men in Odessa were detained on the street and forcibly taken to military enlistment offices, even without being handed a mobilization summons.

For quite a long time, the AFU’s Operational Command South tried to ignore the illegal, forceful methods used by its military commissars. However, on February 14, a video was released showing military enlistment office staff detaining a man by force. In order to avoid a scandal, the military quickly assured the public that the staff responsible would be disciplined for “incorrect” behavior and the incident investigated.

Deputies summoned AFU representatives responsible for the mobilization process to examine incidents that received significant public attention. It is worth noting that the MPs only took notice of the situation only after a fellow parliamentarian was handed a summons in the middle of the street. Following the incident, Fyodor Venislavsky, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, said that parliament is “not satisfied” with certain mobilization methods.

A deputy from the Servant of the People party, Georgy Mazurashu, has registered a bill offering to establish a minimum 3-month training period for new conscripts with no prior military experience. However, it was unclear whether the draft process and most importantly, how it is perceived by ordinary Ukrainians, will see any positive changes.

AFter the start of the war in 2014, there were many people that were not registered for conscription as was required by law. By February 2015 Ukrainian military prosecution had launched some 1,300 criminal cases with prison terms for draft dodging that can range from two to five years. “About 60 percent of people who got draft orders responded and are already in the training centers,” Vladislav Selezniov, the spokesman for Ukrainian General Staff, told ABC News. Evasion of conscription is punishable in law by up to three years’ imprisonment. Desertion from military service is punishable by imprisonment for two to five years, and up to 12 years in some circumstances, which include a time when martial law is in place. Such penalties are neither disproportionate nor excessive.

Draft dodging, or evasion of conscription, has been a phenomenon observed in many countries that have compulsory military service, including Ukraine. Ukraine has been facing conflict, notably with Russia in Eastern Ukraine and Crimea since 2014, which heightened the importance of conscription and military service for the country.

With the active conflict in Eastern Ukraine, many potential conscripts fear being sent to the frontlines and facing combat. Some young men were the primary breadwinners in their families and feared that their families would face economic hardship without their earnings. Some potential draftees were opposed to the conflict itself, feeling that it is not their war to fight or disagreeing with the government's policies. Concerns over corruption, poor equipment, and inadequate training made some hesitant to serve. Others had personal, medical, or educational reasons that make military service infeasible.

The government put in place penalties for draft dodgers, which can range from fines to imprisonment. The Ukrainian government and civil society groups tried to foster patriotic feelings and a sense of duty through media campaigns and education. The process to determine medical exemptions was made more stringent to prevent false claims. Efforts had been made to reduce corruption in the drafting process, which can allow some to buy their way out of service. Like many countries with conscription, Ukraine offers alternative civil service for those who have religious or moral objections to military service. However, the length of this service is typically longer than military service.

Ukraine made efforts to professionalize its military, reducing the reliance on conscripts and shifting more towards a contract-based military force. This has the benefit of having a more dedicated and well-trained force while also potentially reducing the number of young men who are conscripted. Draft dodging is not unique to Ukraine and is a phenomenon observed globally wherever there is conscription, especially during times of conflict. The decisions individuals make in such circumstances are often complex, driven by a mix of personal, societal, and political factors.

By 2017, very few draft evaders had been subject to any criminal proceedings, let alone convicted of any criminal offence or sent to prison. There was a presumption in favour of bail for those awaiting trial and the removal of criminal penalties for minor matters. Draft evaders convicted in absentia would probably be entitled to a retrial and that there was no evidence that a retrial would result in a prison sentence. Out of 295 draft evaders in Ukraine in 2021, none were imprisoned, 8 persons were sent to semi-open prisons, 175 persons were given suspended sentences, and 73 were fined.

As long as there was not declared martial law, the rules of conscription is actually very liberal. For example, if the military commission wants to call up a person who is on the list for conscription, the commission has to deliver the call-up personally. The call-up should contain the person’s personal ID and signature, before it is valid. This means that if the person is not home or he is hiding from the commission representatives, then he is not obliged to stand before the commission. The commission cannot do anything about this, according to the current legislation. So dodging in this way was not perceived as a crime, according to the law, as there is no proof that the person in question was called up, because he had not signed the call-up.

After the full scale Russian invasion in February 2022, there were very few ways for men of military age to avoid the front. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense listed legitimate reasons for conscription exemptions: an illness that does not allow a candidate to move independently, the need to care for a sick relative, open criminal proceedings, or the death of a close relative. To confirm an exemption, the person must provide relevant documents. Conscripts who fail to appear at a military enlistment office are subject to administrative and even criminal liability.

Another legal way to avoid the draft is to get a deferral from conscription. However, in recent months many entrepreneurs have complained that this mechanism is faulty. It has become increasingly difficult to postpone military service for specialists – not everyone who’s on the list gets a deferral, and other workers risk receiving a summons. Many enterprises fear providing personal data about their employees. Moreover, many organizations do not fit the “strategic” criteria which means they cannot get deferment for their staff at all.

In order to have enough workers in the spring, agricultural entrepreneurs are already attempting to postpone military service for their specialists. After all, if the majority of able-bodied men are mobilized, the sector will not have enough workers. Therefore, managers are trying to arrange contingencies in advance. Especially given that, for many rural residents, the term of preliminary deferment is expiring. Given the bureaucracy and official caution around the sensitive issue, the approved list may only reach the head of the agricultural enterprise by fall, when it's time to harvest crops. In the meantime, it remains unclear who will sow the fields in the spring.

All this is a major challenge for Ukraine’s farmers. According to Viktor Goncharenko, president of the Association of Farmers and Private Landowners of Ukraine, agrarians are concerned about who is going to operate tractors and combine harvesters, since small farms employ many workers of military service age. “We don't request deferrals for anyone. We had only one driver called up to the front and so far, didn’t have a problem with the summonses. We don’t want to create problems for ourselves,” said gas station owner Dmitry Leushkin. Filling stations are part of the fuel and energy sector and considered a privileged enterprise, and can request deferral from military service for over 50% of fit-for-service employees. However, the owners prefer to stay quiet.

An increasing number of businesses were choosing to take a similar path and avoid official deferment lists. One of the leaders of an enterprise in the Cherkasy region told the Strana outlet on condition of anonymity that "We’ve seen numerous cases at neighboring enterprises where half of the employees received deferrals from conscription and the rest received mobilization summonses — either before the deferment decision arrived or right after. Those who were not granted deferment promptly received summonses. Therefore, we decided to keep quiet and not submit any lists."

There’s no indication that public pressure may somehow alter the course of general mobilization in Ukraine. In a country that has so far conscripted about one million men, public unwillingness to take up arms has not gone beyond highlighting the illegal behavior of military commissars on social media and criticizing the authorities. However, with the onset of warmer weather, hostilities will inevitably intensify, which means that casualties will grow, and more fighters will be needed. Ukraine badly needed conscripts, but the enthusiasm of military-age men was declining and the authorities knew it.

On 13 July 2023, a court in Kharkiv imprisoned a 28-year-old man for three years for evading the draft for mobilization. Prosecutors proved in court that the resident of Kharkiv ignored the summons and evaded conscription for military service during mobilization. Back in January 2023, the convict received a document for his personal signature, which indicated the date of arrival, but he did not arrive at the territorial recruitment and social support center without valid reasons and the right to a postponement.

In the Khmelnytskyi region, the court found the man guilty of evading mobilization and sent him behind bars for three years. This was announced July 17, 2023 by the Khmelnytskyi Regional Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support (TCC and SP). The court established that the man, being suitable for military service, received a summons to attend training sessions and undergo military service, but evaded the draft, having no legal grounds for doing so. "Instead of fulfilling his duty and protecting the Motherland, at a time when the country needs it more than ever, the accused did not appear for the specified date and time for collection without valid reasons," says the TCC. The court found a citizen born in 1990 guilty under Art. 336 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Ukraine has approved a new list of diseases that will determine eligibility. Military service for those with limited fitness has also been regulated. Changes to the provision on military medical examination in the Armed Forces were made by the order of the Ministry of Defense No. 490 dated August 18, 2023, they entered into force on August 25. On the same day, other changes came into effect, simplifying the requirements for service in the assault troops and marines during the special period.

The Ministry completely updated the list of diseases for assessing the fitness of military personnel and detailed the procedure for service for those with limited fitness. The order clarifies the procedure for adopting a resolution of the VLK on the causal connection of illness, injury (wounds, contusions, mutilations) with military service and the defense of the country.

Along with the resolution on limited suitability for military service, the VLK must adopt a resolution on the suitability of a serviceman for service in a specific military specialty. If a serviceman is deemed unfit for service in his specialty, the unit commander may send him to the VLK to determine his suitability for service in a new specialty.

Ukrainian authorities consider it a reasonable idea to mobilize men who have obtained a second higher education into the Armed Forces . So far, men over the age of 25, who are studying in universities on a full-time and dual basis, are not called up for the army.

In September 2023, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry began work on a new mobilization strategy. The reforms aim to give those who are wavering more choice: new recruits can, more or less, sign up for a specific position. A new digital register will improve the ministry’s understanding of Ukraine’s manpower resources. There will be a clearer system of rest and rotations. Eventually, volunteers will be mobilized for a finite period, not indefinitely as is the case now.

In December 2023 Ukrainian media published details of a new draft law on mobilization, which provides for the conscription of women. Main provisions:

• the age for mobilization is being reduced from 27 to 25 years.
• women will register for military service, undergo military training and serve during martial law;
• the police, the Bureau of Economic Security and the penitentiary service will be deprived of the right to a deferment from mobilization ;
• conscript service is replaced by three months of training for all men and women aged 18 to 25;
• the powers of local authorities to mobilize are significantly expanded and rights are limited draft dodgers.

It is separately indicated that the "combat" Women will be called up for positions voluntarily, but there is no specification of such positions. In addition, you can find yourself on the front line without a combat position, and the voluntary factor in such a structure as the army only raises a smile.

Such a bill, coupled with raids by Ukrainian military commissars on places where they have not visited for almost two years (restaurants, gyms, etc.), demonstrate big problems with personnel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Obviously, the enemy suffered huge losses during the counteroffensive and now, in order to make up for them and recruit new units, is forced to resort to such extraordinary measures.

The total strength of the Ukrainian defense forces is currently about 1.1 million people, and any recruiting campaign cannot cover these volumes, therefore Ukraine cannot do without mobilization. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said this 17 December 2023 during the discussion panel "2024: Challenges and Prospects," which took place as part of a joint project of LB.ua and EFI Group entitled "A New Country," according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"For understanding, the current total strength of the Ukrainian Defense Forces - I will call a somewhat conditional number so that we do not disclose a state secret – is one million and one hundred [thousand]. No recruiting campaign can cover such volumes. Only mobilization can do that. It is necessary to reject even the thoughts that it is possible to move away from mobilization. We cannot move away from that. Any recruiting campaign will not cover the figure of one million and one hundred [thousand]. This is the same problem as with ammunition, because the volumes are huge," Budanov said.

According to him, this number must be kept constantly. He said that one of the main issues in this regard is the motivation of citizens. "The following question arises: all people who wanted to come, they came. Who is being called up now? Unfortunately, there will be no good answer here. If we do not find any motivation for them, then no matter how many people – forcibly, not forcibly or according to some legal norms - we would drive [into the army], their efficiency will be almost zero. In principle, this is what has been happening recently, and this must be frankly acknowledged too," Budanov said.

He noted that there were certain reasons why people do not want to join the Ukrainian Defense Forces. "Now the Defense Forces pay good money. That is, the motivational factor as a financial reward is certainly not the first one. And the question arises: why is it so? I don't know one answer, and I'm sure it doesn't exist. This is a complex problem," Budanov said. In his opinion, money will not solve the problem here. A proper social dialogue and a proper justification are needed here, but it cannot be solved with mere words," he said.

The problem with replenishing the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is partly related to the fact that many citizens no longer view the war in the existential terms they did immediately after Russia’s invasion in February 2022. The relevant statement was made 18 December 2023 by Illarion Pavliuk, Head of the Press and Information Department at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, in a commentary to The Economist, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. According to Pavliuk, part of the problem lies in the army’s success: many citizens no longer view the war in the existential terms they did immediately after Russia’s invasion in February 2022. “Some mistakenly think there is someone else who can do the job for them,” Pavliuk noted.

A bill introduced into parliament on 25 December 2023 proposed allowing the Ukrainian authorities to mobilize even group III disabled people, send summonses electronically, and limit the rights of draft dodgers, including those who left the country.

Zelensky and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny shifted responsibility for the upcoming tightening of mobilization methods onto each other.

Maryana Bezuglaya, a member of the Rada Committee on Defense, previously reported, after discussion within the walls of parliament, they are going to exclude from the bill the provision on sending summonses to conscripts by e-mail, and return the provisions on granting a deferment from mobilization and the right to dismissal to all persons with disabilities, including group III , those who have a disabled spouse, and also provide a deferment for persons enrolled in internship training.

Among other things, they plan to eliminate the requirement for those liable for military service to indicate their place of residence when concluding an employment contract, reduce the terms of dismissal of conscripts after the adoption of the law, begin basic combined arms training for students of Ukrainian universities in 2025, clarify the articles of the Criminal Code, according to which it is possible to mobilize convicts into the army at will, and also cancel the deferment from conscription into the Armed Forces of Ukraine for deputies of the Rada, employees of law enforcement agencies, organizations and enterprises of the Ministry of Defense.

Another member of the defense committee, Fyodor Venislavsky, argued that the Ukrainian authorities in the new version of the high-profile bill will not seriously restrict human rights, excluding from it several of the most scandalous provisions, including the abolition of deferment from the army for disabled people.

Consideration of the bill on new mobilization rules was supposed to take place in the Rada on 11 January 2024 after a closed meeting of the conciliation council with the participation of the military, however, as the head of the faction of the pro-presidential Servant of the People party in the Verkhovna Rada David Arakhamia said, the document was returned to the government for revision with proposals from parliamentarians . At the same time, he emphasized that all political forces understood and support the need for mobilization. Later, the government representative in the Verkhovna Rada, Taras Melnichuk, reported that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine had withdrawn the bill on new mobilization rules from the Rada.

The law on mobilization in Ukraine must be adopted as soon as possible, and it will not be popular. This opinion was expressed by the adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Mikhail Podolyak, on the air of a national telethon 12 January 2024. “The deputies want to get a law that people will like, but this is impossible, and therefore they are looking for the slightest opportunity to pass between the droplets, this will not work,” he said. “And let’s fix it - the law needs to be changed, obviously, because two years of war - These are completely different requirements for mobilization processes, and it will be accepted."

Podolyak stressed that “several days, or at most weeks, will pass, and the law will still be voted on in the first and second readings, taking into account additional amendments that need to be made taking into account the position of, for example, the anti-corruption committee and other parliamentary committees.”

The Ukrainian army needs people, ammunition, and weapons to continue conducting military operations. Specifically, they need people capable of carrying out assigned tasks, according to a statement 26 December 2023 by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. "Most important to me is that people come to the military and can carry out the assigned tasks. Who gets a deferral or who doesn’t, who the state will call up—that's not my competence today," he noted. "I need people, I need ammunition, and I need weapons to continue military operations," Zaluzhnyi added.

The new Ukrainian mobilization bill as of 11 March 2024 will allow the rich to quietly buy the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Cabinet of Ministers plans to link mobilization reserves to the salary level.

According to him, everyone will be reserved:

• Category A officials;
• employees of companies, institutions and organizations of the military-industrial complex, suppliers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• police officers.

On business trips they will be complete:

• workers of the fuel and energy complex;
• communication operators.

Those who also have the opportunity to reserve:

• Who receives a salary of 35,000 UAH.
• Pay personal income tax = 6.3 thousand hryvnias and unified social tax = 7.7 thousand hryvnias.
• IT specialists, that is, residents of the city of Diya, subject to payment of personal income tax = 6.3 thousand UAH

The deputy commander of the Third Brigade, Maxim Zhorin, stated that due to the delay in the mobilization process, the situation on the front could become “catastrophic.” "Instead of changing the approach to recruitment and training, they decided to legitimize the principle of "war only for the poor." Now Ukraine faces very serious tests on the front. Due to several screwed-up initiatives and the delay of the process, we will have a catastrophic situation." - said Zhorin.

Persons liable for military service who voluntarily come to military registration and enlistment offices can sign a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine for a period of one year . After this time, the service can no longer be continued, says MP Fyodor Venislavsky. “If a person comes without a summons, he has the right to conclude a contract for enlistment in military service. This will not be a mobilized person, but a person who voluntarily entered service under a contract,” the people’s deputy explained 08 June 2023. Venislavsky’s words resonate with the provisions of the bill on tightening mobilization, which has been in force since May 18. Even at the consideration stage , the provision on demobilization after 36 months of service, that is, three years, was deleted from the document .

At present, volunteers who have been fighting since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian army cannot leave the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. There was no information about the offer to those mobilized in the TCC to sign annual contracts before Venislavsky’s comment. During martial law, any man on the street can be served with a summons to clarify data. Next, he is required to undergo a medical examination and, if found fit, he will serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine until the end of the special period .

In war conditions, after the end of the contract, the serviceman again falls under general mobilization. If a man is summoned to the military registration and enlistment office on a subpoena and he has not previously agreed where he will serve, he will be sent “where the Motherland needs him,” Armed Forces of Ukraine officer, ex-People’s Deputy Igor Lapin tells Focus. “There is no concept of demobilization or dismissal from a unit due to the end of a contract,” he added.

In the Achilles UAV battalion of the 92nd Special Brigade, the service contract lasts at least two years, notes unit commander Yuri Fedorenko. “In the Ukrainian Defense Forces, contracts are valid for two or five years until the end of the special situation. In our unit - for two years, of which the training of a fighter takes up to five months. There is no point in signing a contract for a year: a person fights for six months and then leaves business," says the military man. It must be borne in mind that in conditions of a full-scale war, contracts will continue automatically after they expire, he added. “What kind of service life can there be if the enemy is advancing? My position is not to carry out demobilization. We need sufficient staffing of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for rotation,” Fedorenko concluded.