The Defense Ministry plans to finalize a bill defining the procedure and conditions for discharging military personnel from service by Dec. 18 this year, secretary of the parliamentary defense committee Roman Kostenko told Ukrainska Pravda on Nov. 14.
Due to the lack of a regulatory framework, Ukrainian military personnel cannot be demobilized at will, even after long service. The reasons for demobilization may include injury or the need to care for a family member with a disability.
Many Ukrainian soldiers have been serving non-stop since the first day of the full-scale invasion in late February 2022.
"The committee addressed the Defense Ministry with an official request to develop a draft law on the procedure and conditions for the dismissal of certain categories of military personnel during martial law," Kostenko said.
"Recently, we received a response saying that, according to the ministry's plan, the draft will be ready by Dec. 18, 2024, within the timeframe set by the parliament."
It is not yet clear what conditions the Defense Ministry will propose for discharging military personnel from service, Kostenko added.
Ukraine's parliament adopted an updated mobilization law in mid-April to ramp up mobilization amid Russia's ongoing war. The new law simplifies the process for identifying eligible conscripts and includes additional penalties for those dodging the draft.
The parliament voted to remove provisions on demobilization, which previously foresaw soldiers having the right to leave the military after 36 months of service, from the bill so that they could be considered separately.
The parliament obliged the Defense Ministry to develop a relevant draft law within eight months.
Sonya Bandouil
(Updated: )
