“Turns out, a mobilization order can be canceled”: Nasirov’s discharge from the Armed Forces of Ukraine raises questions among lawyers and MPs

The dismissal from military service of Roman Nasirov, the former head of Ukraine’s tax authority who is facing corruption charges, has raised serious concerns among legal experts and members of parliament.

As a reminder, Nasirov enlisted in the army during the final stage of his court proceedings (which is allowed by law; legal proceedings are suspended during military service). He was assigned to a security unit of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but after a public outcry, the unit commander revoked the enlistment order.

This incident has drawn attention to a recent Supreme Court ruling, which stated that mobilization, even if carried out unlawfully, is irreversible — meaning that a person cannot simply be discharged and returned to civilian life.

“When a TRC (Territorial Recruitment Center) mobilizes someone with obvious medical conditions, that person has to spend months proving they were unfit for service — and yet the mobilization order is not canceled… But when it comes to Nasirov and there’s public backlash, suddenly it’s a different story. Turns out a mobilization order can be revoked,” wrote lawyer and former serviceman Masi Nayyem.

MP Oleksiy Honcharenko also criticized the decision: “So while other mobilized individuals with serious illnesses are fighting for justice, some people can be discharged by a single order from a commander. Clearly, if there’s enough motivation, discharge is possible — just not for everyone. The rest are left waiting for laws on service limits or battling the TRC in court.”

MP Maryana Bezuhla echoed this sentiment: “Turns out you can cancel a mobilization order! Double standards.”

The uproar over Nasirov’s mobilization was amplified by civil society watchdogs, including the Anti-Corruption Action Center. Notably, its head, Vitaliy Shabunin, has himself been accused of draft evasion.