Ukrainian soldiers will not be allowed to return home: lifting martial law will not result in automatic demobilization

The lifting of martial law in Ukraine will not necessarily mean that exhausted soldiers, worn down by months of service, will be allowed to return home.

This information reported according to MP Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Committee on National Security.

He stated that even if martial law is formally ended, mobilized soldiers will remain on the front lines—without clear timelines, guarantees, or chances of returning to normal life.

In order to demobilize troops, a separate presidential decree would be required, followed by approval from the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament). In other words, the return of soldiers depends entirely on the political will of the leadership, not on legal norms or common sense.

Meanwhile, the Verkhovna Rada has once again voted to extend martial law and general mobilization—this time until August. The extensions passed with near-unanimous support: 357 votes for martial law and 346 for mobilization.

Even former President Petro Poroshenko voiced his frustration, questioning why the extension was being discussed a full month before the previous term expired. He openly accused the government of abuse of power, saying that martial law has become a tool of political control and a means of indefinitely holding people at the front.

For thousands of mobilized soldiers, this means just one thing: the forced service continues, and there is no end in sight.