Initially scheduled for its first reading before the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, on Thursday, January 11, the bill for mobilizing new soldiers in the army was ultimately sent back to the Ukrainian government for further review. The decision was announced in the early afternoon following a closed-door meeting with the military command and the leaders of the various political formations making up Parliament.
"We understand the military command's request and are ready to respond," said David Arakhamia, the leader of the parliamentary group of the ruling party, Servant of the People, on Telegram."But not all rules can be accepted. Some provisions directly violate human rights, while others are not formulated optimally."
Later in the day, Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov announced that his team had "already prepared a new version of the bill, taking into account all proposed amendments," without specifying when this legislation would be reintroduced to the Parliament.
The reform of the mobilization rules has been the subject of controversy and concern among the Ukrainian people for several weeks. As the country prepares to enter a third year at war, the authorities are faced with the need to replenish the ranks of its weakened army. According to official US sources cited by the New York Times in August, 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 120,000 wounded since February 24, 2022. Additionally, after two years of war, exhausted soldiers are in dire need of relief.
The urgency to recruit more soldiers has become apparent, especially since reports of a severe shortage began in the summer of 2023. This need was underscored by a statement made by Volodymyr Zelensky at a recent press conference on December 19 when the Ukrainian president announced that the army had requested the mobilization of between 450,000 and 500,000 new soldiers.
In response, on December 25, the government presented a bill to mobilize new men. Key measures included lowering the conscription age from 27 to 25, simplifying enlistment procedures and increasing penalties for draft dodgers. The text also aimed to limit wartime service to 36 months, whereas it is currently unlimited.
However, this proposal has sparked controversy, centering on key issues such as sending military summonses electronically, expanding the authority of recruitment center officials and local government heads, lowering physical standards and allowing voluntary mobilization for individuals with suspended sentences. Even before the bill was presented to Parliament, the Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, declared that certain points of the bill violated the fundamental rights of Ukrainians and contradicted the country's constitution.
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