Zelensky signed a controversial bill on toughening mobilization in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed into law the bill on toughening mobilization in Ukraine.

This information evidenced by the document card on the parliament’s website.

“Returned with the signature from the President of Ukraine,” the website states.

The main part of the bill’s provisions will come into force a month after Zelensky’s signing.

Recall, the Rada adopted the bill on toughening mobilization in the second reading on April 11. At that time, 283 members of parliament voted in favor.

According to the new provisions:

• conscripts are given 60 days from the date the law comes into force to update their data at the military enlistment office in person or electronically;
• a summons will be considered received without being handed over personally: if a person is not found at home, the date of “delivery” will be considered the day the stamp indicating the impossibility of delivery is affixed;
• carrying a military ID card will become mandatory for all men aged 18 to 60; its presence can be checked by military enlistment office staff, police and border guards;
• sanctions are provided for violating these norms: from large fines to the revocation of driving privileges and forced delivery to the military enlistment office via the police (in case of failure to appear in response to a summons);
• the mobilization will not affect nearly all law enforcement officers (e.g., police officers), assistants to deputies and owners of strategic enterprises (i.e., all major businessmen);
• deferrals have been abolished for students pursuing a second higher education and the process has been made more complex for disabled individuals and their relatives.

Additionally, in early April, Zelensky signed a law reducing the minimum mobilization age. Currently, Ukrainians can be deployed to the frontlines at the age of 25, rather than 27 as before.

A record number of amendments, over 4,200, were submitted to the bill on toughening mobilization. In particular, there were proposals to set clear demobilization deadlines for soldiers, many of whom have been on the frontlines for two years. The day before the document was submitted for consideration in parliament, according to media reports, the question of demobilization was decided to be removed and put forward separately.

The demobilization clause was removed at the request of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, the media reminds that this provision was originally named by Ukrainian authorities as one of the key points of the law.