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Zelensky signs decree on mass review of military medics' decisions

2 min read
Zelensky signs decree on mass review of military medics' decisions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky holds a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sept. 7, 2023. (Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram)

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on the review of all decisions by Ukraine's military medical commissions to issue certificates of disability or unfitness for military service made since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

According to the National Security and Defense Council's decision signed into force by Zelensky, the review should be completed in three months.

The decree also obliges Ukrainian authorities to take a series of measures to improve the process of military medical examinations, including finalizing the digitalization of the commissions' work.

The decision follows a nationwide inspection of military medical commissions, which has uncovered numerous violations and cases of corruption.

Law enforcement agencies searched multiple medical commissions across the country in recent weeks, discovering that some officials helped draft-age men obtain fake documents proving a disability or being temporarily unfit for military service in exchange for a financial reward.

Ukraine declared general mobilization and martial law after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Men aged 18 to 60 cannot go abroad, with several exceptions.

According to Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, up to 20 men are detained daily, attempting to leave the country illegally. Many provide falsified documents to gain passage, including fake medical documentation, falsely "proving" they are unfit for service.

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