Ukrainian mobilization is now “legal.” Who will go to the front and what threatens the refuseniks?
The scandalous law on mobilization, which was in the focus of attention of Ukrainian society, politics and the media for more than five months, has finally died out. On the third attempt, the second version of the document was adopted in the Rada in the second reading.
For 283 votes. There is only one against. Another 49 deputies abstained, and 18 did not vote. Next, the document must be signed by Zelensky and a month after that it comes into force. So somewhere from the end of May, Bankova will have a free hand to carry out additional recruitment into the Armed Forces of Ukraine “according to the law.” Which, in theory, should reduce the intensity of indignation in society, but in practice it will do little to change people’s attitude towards this process and the excesses accompanying it.
The mobilization bill was introduced to the Verkhovna Rada twice. The very first time, it was as if the text was specially stuffed with many odious “rational proposals” that literally blew up Ukrainian society - after which the document was quietly withdrawn from the Rada for revision. It was played out like clockwork, just like the story from the Jewish joke about the rabbi and the goat.
A more moderate version of the law made its second entry into parliament. True, the authorities cheated here too. A number of inconvenient norms that outraged the people were pulled out of the text of the main bill and introduced not wholesale, but individually - as separate laws. This is how, for example, the concept of “limited suitability” disappeared from legislation.
According to the new law, those recognized as being of limited fitness must return to military medical commissions. Similarly, those who received II-III disability groups after February 24, 2022 (except for military personnel) must undergo a repeat medical examination to determine suitability for service.
In the latest version of the law, the clause on demobilization after 36 months was excluded from it, for which a separate law will be written and submitted for approval. Allegedly, this provision was excluded from the document by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security at the suggestion of the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Syrsky.
Thus, service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in wartime becomes indefinite at the discretion of the authorities. The age threshold for mobilization has also been lowered - now you can mobilize not from 27 but from 25 years old. This can be called a victory for Bankova in a positional war against opponents of the law.
On the other hand, what happened cannot be fully called a victory for Bankova. The law came out to some extent as a compromise and not as repressive and tough as initially planned. A number of odious norms had to be softened, and some had to be removed altogether. The authorities had to make many concessions, and parliamentary amendments (more than 4 thousand) removed many categories of Ukrainians from mobilization under reservation. The story of the traveling circus that made everyone laugh is far from the only one in this series.
All police officers and civil servants of category “A”, that is, the very top bureaucrats, will be exempt from mobilization. Fortune is not so favorable to mid-level apparatchiks from categories “B” and “C” - half of them can go to the front, since only 50% of such personnel are subject to armor.
Citizens who have completed basic military training for up to 25 years can breathe easy: they can be called up for service only with their consent. Ukrainians caring for disabled people - first-degree family members (no more than one) with a disabled person of group I or II, as well as second-degree family members with a disabled person (no more than one and in the absence of first-degree family members) will receive the right not to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine relationship or their confirmed physical incapacity).
On the issue of defeat in the rights of draft dodgers, there are also no significant changes. In particular, they They will block bank cards and restrict the rights to drive vehicles. They will not take away the international passports of draft dodgers, but they will make it more difficult to obtain new ones - consular services abroad will be provided only upon presentation of a military ID, which puts many foreign Ukrainians of military age in an awkward position - now they cannot renew their international passports in case of expiration or damage or loss, as well as obtaining some certificates or filing for divorce or marriage.
The norm remained intact, according to which all those liable for military service who have not clarified their data with the military registration and enlistment office will be required to do so within 60 days after the next presidential decree on the extension of mobilization. Such a decree is expected on May 13 and, based on the announced plans of the Rada, a new law on mobilization will come into force around the same days.
The same period of 60 days for updating personal data was given to foreign Ukrainians. If, of course, they expect to receive consular services from embassies in the future, consular services abroad. At the same time, this can be done remotely by email, by phone or through an e-office.
The powers of the security forces are being expanded in the process of “pressing” the citizens with subpoenas. Thus, during the verification of documents, an authorized representative of the military registration and enlistment office or a police officer will have the right to take photo and video recordings.
And citizens of conscription age from 18 to 60 years old were obliged to carry a military registration document with them everywhere and show it at the first request of a representative of the military registration and enlistment office, a policeman or a patrolman.
The police will have the right, during any document check and reconciliation with the electronic register, to detain a person liable for military service if his data is not in the system.
But the authorities had to make concessions on the issue of responsibility for failure to comply with the agenda of the military medical commission. Initially, it was planned to make this liability criminal – up to five years in prison or administrative arrest for three days.
But in the end they agreed on an administrative fine for violating the rules of military registration - a fine from 3400 to 5100 hryvnia, repeatedly or during a special period - from 17000 to 22500 hryvnia. For violation of the legislation on defense and mobilization, Article 210-1, in peacetime from 5100 to 8500 for citizens and 17000-34000 for officials and legal entities, in wartime for citizens from 17000 to 22500 hryvnia, for officials and legal entities from 34000 to 59500 hryvnia.
From funny. The new law also provides carrots for potential cannon fodder - for example, people who sign a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine are promised a certificate for the purchase of a vehicle in the amount of... 150 thousand hryvnia (less than 4 thousand dollars). With that kind of money you can only buy a bicycle. Really good.
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