The responsibility for failure to appear at the military enlistment office and conscription from the age of 25: What restrictions are being prepared for Ukrainians?

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Monday evening, December 25, submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine a bill on mobilization, military registration, and military service.

The corresponding draft law appeared on the website of the Ukrainian parliament.

Key excerpts from the draft law on the mobilization of Ukrainians, which the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine presented to the Verkhovna Rada:

Regarding the age threshold

The new draft law proposes to change the conscription age from 27 to 25 years.

“Ukrainian citizens under the age of 25 undergo basic military service in accordance with the laws of Ukraine in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations in order to obtain a military specialty, acquire practical skills and abilities for the armed defense of the Fatherland. The mentioned citizens of Ukraine can choose the year and period of undergoing basic military service before reaching 25 years,” according to the comparative table.

Earlier, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, stated that his department might request the conscription of men aged 25 to 60. President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, mentioned that he would sign the draft law on increasing the conscription age upon sufficient arguments from officials.

Leave for servicemen

The new draft law proposes to grant additional leave to servicemen after their release from captivity with the preservation of financial support for a duration of 90 calendar days without division (except for servicemen who expressed a desire to resign from military service after release from captivity and against whom no criminal proceedings are initiated).

Categories of citizens not subject to conscription

According to the text of the draft law, the right to deferment will be granted to:

• Applicants of professional (vocational-technical), professional higher, and higher education who study in daytime or dual forms of education and obtain an education level exceeding the previously obtained one in a specialty (profession);
• Doctoral students studying in daytime or dual forms of education;
• Scientific and scientific-pedagogical workers of higher and professional higher education institutions, scientific institutions, and organizations holding an academic title and/or degree, and teaching staff of professional higher education institutions, professional (vocational-technical) education institutions, general secondary education institutions whose working conditions correspond to institutions of higher or professional higher education, scientific institutions and organizations, professional (vocational-technical) or general secondary education institutions in terms of their main job on a full-time basis;
• Those discharged from military service as reservists during the period of the legal regime of martial law who are not subject to conscription for military service within two years from the date of dismissal from military service. Such individuals during this period may be called up for military service with their consent.
• Conscripts among citizens who have served in the military and were discharged from reserve service due to release from captivity. Such individuals may be called up for military service with their consent.
• Conscripts exempt from military service during mobilization for six months among citizens released from compulsory military service during the martial law period.
• Civil servants, employees of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine, the State Executive Service of Ukraine, and the Prosecutor’s Office do not have the right to deferment from conscription.

Receipt of summonses

The new draft law will more precisely define the establishment of requirements for summonses calling individuals to territorial recruitment and social support centers, as well as the procedure for their delivery to Ukrainian citizens.

The summons to the territorial recruitment and social support center can be personally delivered to the citizen:

• In the premises of the territorial recruitment and social support center by representatives of the said center;
• At the place of residence (stay) by representatives of the territorial recruitment and social support center or police officers;
• At the place of work by representatives of the territorial recruitment and social support center, employer, or police officers;
• In public places by representatives of the territorial recruitment and social support center or police officers.
• The summons to the territorial recruitment and social support center can be sent to the citizen through the electronic account of the conscript, draftee, or reservist or via email.

Recall that recently Telegram channels have actively spread information that at the end of December in Ukraine “checkpoints for delivering summonses will start operating.” Additionally, they wrote that “soon, allegedly, summonses will appear in ‘Dii’.”

The source of the message was a former adviser to the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk, a member of the 72nd brigade, Nazariy Kishak.

Here’s additional provisions from the draft law:

• Local councils, including village, town, and city councils, are tasked with ensuring the organization of citizens’ conscription. They are responsible for informing citizens about the directives of military administrations and the leadership of territorial recruitment centers regarding mobilization and summoning draftees to these centers. Additionally, rural, town, and city councils must facilitate the arrival of citizens at assembly points.
• Local state administrations gain a new responsibility: notifying and facilitating citizens’ arrival at assembly points and military units.
• Enterprises and organizations are obliged to notify and ensure the arrival of citizens who are summoned for mobilization.
• New obligations for citizens include registering in the electronic account of a draftee, conscript, or reservist, undergoing a medical examination, and appearing at the territorial recruitment centers at the specified time and place mentioned in the summons.
• All conscripts must, within 60 days from the announcement of mobilization or within 20 days from its continuation, arrive at the territorial recruitment center, regardless of receiving a summons. Valid reasons for non-arrival include natural disasters, the citizen’s illness, and the death of close relatives (parents, spouses, children, siblings, grandparents) or close relatives of the spouse.
• During mobilization, all Ukrainian citizens (regardless of gender) aged 18 to 60 must carry their military registration documents and present them at territorial recruitment centers.
• A novelty regarding deferment is introduced for the 1st and 2nd disability groups, removing the 3rd group. An interesting aspect is deferment for women: if they are on maternity leave for up to 3 years or if the child requires care for up to 6 years, as well as pregnant women. Deferment will only be granted to current members of the Ukrainian Parliament, while all past sessions are subject to mobilization.
• Deferment for students is only applicable to those in daytime or dual forms of education who are pursuing an education level higher than their previous one in the same field, as well as doctoral students.
• New rules for exemptions are established: officials in the “A” category are exempt from military service. Categories “B” and “C” can have only up to 50% exemption from the total number of conscripts.
• Basic military service is introduced for all citizens under 25. Exemptions are granted to disabled individuals, those who have already undergone military training, and individuals who underwent military training before acquiring Ukrainian citizenship.
• Basic military service will last up to 5 months.