Ukrainian parliamentary committee completes review of mobilisation bill

The Verkhovna Rada (Parliamentary) Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence has completed its work on the second reading of the draft law on mobilisation. The bill is now ready for consideration in Parliament.

Source: Roman Kostenko, Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Defence Committee, member of the Holos (Voice) faction

Quote: “We have just recommended that the Verkhovna Rada adopt the draft law on mobilisation on the second reading. 13 committee members voted in favour and 5 abstained.”

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Details: As a result of the work done, the draft law has changed significantly compared to the original version.

Ukrainska Pravda has a copy of the committee’s conclusion on the second reading of the draft law and is publishing some of the provisions.

• Citizens whose names are on the military record can voluntarily register a digital account as a conscript, person liable for military service, or reservist. This is a right, not an obligation. 
• During mobilisation, men aged between 18 and 60 are required to carry a military registration document and present it when requested to by a military enlistment office representative or police officer. The process of document verification can be recorded on a camera or phone. In border areas and at checkpoints, they may be asked to show their military registration document by a border guard. 
• Persons liable for military service aged 18 to 60 will need to have their military registration documents with them in order to obtain documents at foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine. 
• Persons liable for military service will also need to have their military registration documents with them to obtain an internal passport or passport for international travel.           
• The penalty for evading mobilisation will be a temporary driving ban, based on a court judgment.
• Instead of conscription, it is planned to introduce basic military service for citizens aged 18 to 25. They will be able to choose the period of service until they reach the age of 24. 
• There are no plans for the compulsory mobilisation of women. Women are subject to military registration if they are fit for military service in terms of their health and age and have received a medical or pharmaceutical education. Women who are registered for military service may be called up for military service during martial law on a voluntary basis. 

At the request of the military leadership and government officials, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence decided to remove the provisions on demobilisation and rotation of military personnel from the draft law. 

Servicemen or women who have been released from captivity will retain the right to be discharged from military service. If a soldier/officer released from captivity wishes to remain in service, he/she will be entitled to an additional 90 days of leave.

We emphasise that the final decision on the draft law will be taken by MPs during the vote in Parliament. Therefore, some of the above provisions may be amended in the final version of the bill.

The Verkhovna Rada will begin its consideration of the draft law in the second reading in the parliamentary chamber on 10 April.

Background:

• The Verkhovna Rada passed the government draft law on mobilisation in the first reading on 7 February. The draft law included provisions on the demobilisation of military personnel. 
• MPs submitted 4,269 amendments to the bill for the second reading. 

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