On Thursday, the Ukrainian Parliament, or Verkhovna Rada, passed a bill overhauling the country’s military mobilization rules.
Law No. 10449 enhances the organization of mobilization and military registration and addresses the social protection of servicemen, as well as certain aspects of military service, to bolster personnel selection and in turn, Ukraine’s defense capabilities against armed aggression.
The draft law, titled “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Improving Certain Issues of Mobilization, Military Registration and Military Service,” was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada by the Cabinet of Ministers on December 25, 2023. After revisions, the updated draft law was approved and presented to Parliament on January 30. On April 9, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence completed the draft law on mobilization for the second reading, declaring the document ready for parliamentary consideration.
The modifications to the law on mobilization include:
- Citizens continuing to receive service in paper form only, with the electronic account for conscripts, persons liable for military service, or reservists being registered voluntarily.
- All persons accountable for military service will have 60 days to update their military registration data after the law’s publication.
- Citizens residing permanently abroad will have to register for military service in Ukraine.
- Individuals convicted to a suspended sentence may be called up for military service, with an exception for those who committed crimes against Ukraine’s national security.
- No compulsory mobilization of women will occur, except those in the medical or pharmaceutical fields or with a military specialty who may register voluntarily for military service.
The issue of mobilization is decidedly pressing as the war in Ukraine continues. In a recent report, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) found that the conflict’s toll on Ukrainian civilians has escalated in the past month due to the increase in Russian aerial strikes. According to the study, “At least 604 civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine in March 2024, marking a 20 percent increase compared with February 2024.“