As of the morning of Jan. 9, Ukraine's parliament had received five different versions of the new bill on mobilization, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said.
This includes the original one submitted by the government and four alternatives proposed by lawmakers, he clarified.
As the military seeks to replenish its ranks amid the full-scale war with Russia, the government submitted a draft law on mobilization and military service to the parliament on Dec. 25, outlining plans for further conscription and tightening restrictions on draft evaders.
Since the deadline for proposing alternative draft laws ends on Jan. 9, this is likely a complete list, Zhelezniak noted. The Defense Committee can start deliberating on the bill starting today.
Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk is also conducting closed-door talks with leaders of the parliament's factions, Zhelezniak added.
Yevheniia Kravchuk, a lawmaker and a deputy head of the parliament's Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, previously said the parliament would not adopt the bill without amendments.
The parliament's Anti-Corruption Policy Committee criticized the government's bill as creating possible corruption risks and suggested alterations in a meeting with defense representatives.
The European Business Association (EBA) also noted that in its proposed form, the bill could drive illicit employment practices, negatively impact the business environment in Ukraine, and infringe on the basic rights of the population.
The measures proposed by the government include banning those who evade military registration and service from traveling abroad, restricting their rights to drive a vehicle or obtain a driver's license, and suspending their benefits and services from the state.
David Arakhamia, the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People faction in parliament, said that the military command had submitted a request to mobilize 500,000 military personnel.
Zelensky also gave this number during his press conference on Dec. 19, noting that the plan has yet to address several key issues before he can support it.
Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi later refuted the figure but said that the military had a plan for the number of mobilized conscripts for 2024.
Elsa Court
(Updated: )
