- Ukrainian parliament approves military draft overhaul amid Russian invasion
- Legislation aims to address personnel shortages and update draft data
- Measure eliminates severe penalties for draft evasion, faces mixed reception
Aiming to increase its soldier count over two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian parliament has approved a measure to overhaul the method by which the military drafts civilians.
The measure, which resolved a series of severe penalties for evading the draft that provoked widespread public indignation, received support from the armed forces.
A general informed parliament on Thursday, before the bill’s passage, that Russia has as many as ten times as many soldiers on eastern battlefields as Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian armed forces will not let down the Ukrainian people or you if this law is passed,” General Yuriy Sodol told legislators.
He stated, “We are maintaining our defences with our remaining forces,” as legislators rose to their feet and commended the presence of over a dozen commanders at the session.
Military analysts have stated that as Russian forces advance in the east, the Ukrainian armed forces must address critical personnel and artillery ammunition shortages.
“We are outnumbered seven to ten times by the enemy.” Sodol, commander of Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Luhansk territories in eastern Ukraine, stated, “We lack personnel.”
The measure was approved by a 450-member parliament by a majority of 283 votes, Holos party lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Before becoming law, the measure still requires the signature of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Eliminating draft-dodging penalties
The purpose of the legislation is to provide the military with a more precise indication of the quantity and location of individuals it can mobilise.
The measure grants military authorities sixty days to receive updated personal information from Ukrainian men. Before this, draft offices were occasionally forced to rely on outdated and insufficient data.
In addition, several severe penalties for evading the draft that were suggested in a previous draft are eliminated, sparking outrage. Thousands of individuals have evaded the draft throughout the conflict.
A provision requiring the demobilisation of soldiers who had been engaged in combat for thirty-six months was also removed from the bill, leaving military service during times of conflict indefinite.
The bill’s passage, according to lawmaker Oleksandr Fedienko, would “communicate to our allies that we are prepared to reclaim our territory and that we require weapons.” Ukraine is confronted with a deceleration in military aid from the West.
“Start your investing journey with a gift! Claim your free Webull shares.”
The deputy commander of the Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade, Maksym Zhorin, stated that the legislation would not produce “miracles” on the battlefield. “It will undoubtedly bring a little more systematisation and order to the mobilisation issue in general,” he stated on television, adding that it would not resolve every issue.
“In my opinion, I would significantly increase the difficulty and further decrease the age of conscription.”
Separate legislation enacted into law by Zelenskyy last week lowered the age of conscription from 27 to 25. An additional measure is under consideration in Parliament to permit suspended-term inmates to serve in the military. On Facebook, representative Mariana Bezuhla criticised the measure, stating, “Months were lost because they made it as soft and confusing as possible.”
This week marked the final vote of parliament on the most recent bill, after months of deliberation during which politicians accused one another of drafting poorly worded amendments and lacked the political will to approve controversial changes.
A surplus of 4,000 amendments were lodged after the initial reading in February. The majority of the amendments were rejected by deputies, and initial suggestions regarding penalties for individuals attempting to circumvent the draft were considerably weakened.
