Nearly 1 million people temporarily exempted from military service, Defense Ministry says
About 930,000 Ukrainians liable for military service are temporarily exempted from military service, while their number may reach one million in a week, Forbes Ukraine reported on Aug. 19, citing Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk.
Ukraine has taken steps to update the legal framework around conscription to ramp up mobilization this year. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a new law on mobilization on April 16.
The Ukrainian government has also allowed businesses to reserve 50% of their employees if their enterprises are considered to be critical to the functioning of the economy.
Mobilization does not currently cover the army's needs, as those mobilized become soldiers only 3-6 months after they have completed training, Havryliuk said.
Russia, on the contrary, is not reducing the number of its groups in the occupied territories of Ukraine, he added.
There were 440,000 Russian troops in the occupied territories of Ukraine, and now there are about 600,000, with a possibility to rise to 800,000 by the end of the year, according to Havryliuk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 31 ordered an increase in the sign-on bonus for new military recruits to serve in Ukraine to 400,000 rubles (over $4,600).
The presidential decree published on the government website effectively doubled the lump-sum payment of 195,000 ($2,260) rubles initially promised to recruits in September 2022.
Russia seeks new soldiers for its war as the full-scale invasion continues to take a heavy toll on its military's manpower.
All Russian citizens and foreigners who signed up for one-year service between Aug. 1 and the end of 2024 will be eligible for the increased bonus.
The document says that the payment is intended to provide "additional means of social support" for soldiers and their families.
Natalia Yermak
