The Ukrainian parliament has finally stopped delaying the inevitable and voted for a new law that tightens mobilisation processes, strengthens penalties for draft dodgers and allows the government to track Ukrainian men of military age who are living abroad, at its second reading yesterday. Once the law is signed by Volodymyr Zelensky, more men aged 25 and over will undergo military training for two to three months, then head to the front line in time for Russia’s summer offensive.
But not everything went smoothly. By the request of Oleksandr Syrskyi, the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, lawmakers have removed provisions on demobilisation and the rotation of military personnel from the bill. Syrskyi said it was taking too long to review the more than 4,000 amendments to the bill, while reviewing the issues of grounds for dismissal from military service would take even longer. The issue, he said, was that Ukraine needed more men immediately. So the government was given eight months to come up with another draft law which would guarantee that military service is not everlasting.
Ukrainian soldiers are exhausted and their morale is low
Syrskyi’s intervention means that soldiers who thought they could go back to a peaceful life after 36 months of service have to wait to leave the army – again. Some Ukrainian fighters have not left the front line since Russia started a war in the Donbas in 2014. Tens of thousands have been fighting for more than two years. They are exhausted and their morale is low: what else could you expect, considering that they have no rest, few reinforcements and even fewer weapons? Parliament has voted to pay soldiers on the front line an additional 70,000 hryvnia (£1,400) a month. It’s a nice bonus, sure, but it’s nowhere near the dismissal from service that fighters have been asking for. Kyiv has to find a way to send these men home without hurting Ukraine’s defence capabilities.
Ukraine’s parliament has also passed a bill at first reading which allows citizens convicted of minor offences to serve in the military. This excludes individuals convicted of serious and violent crimes like murder, sexual violence, or offences against national security. The proposal could potentially provide 50,000 more eligible recruits who have completed their sentences, along with another 26,000 who are currently imprisoned.
In the defence sector, such as in weapon manufacturing factories, men can be exempted from mobilisation through a reservation process. This procedure allows private companies and government structures to keep important employees on the job. So far, so logical. But issues arise when people try to determine what jobs are important in supporting a war-torn country’s critical infrastructure. There are certain loopholes in the legal system that open up space for abuse. This week, for example, Ukraine’s culture ministry has recognised a number of TV channels, circuses, theatres, operas and other cultural institutions as ‘critically important’ companies during wartime, allowing some of their employees to defer military service. This decision led to uproar on Ukrainian social media, with people asking if circuses are really that important when the country is fighting for its survival.
There is no talk right now about any counter-offensive: with no weapons, the only successful way to make the war painful for Russia has been to strike their military factories and oil refineries with Ukrainian-made drones. But even that strategy opens Ukraine up to problems. The Biden administration has been slamming these attacks as they risk oil rising right before the US elections. Their logic means Ukraine has to fight Russia, but not too well.
Nonetheless, conscription is set to escalate. Kyiv has fulfilled its end of the bargain by introducing more conscription rules; now it’s up to western allies to arm Ukraine, lest these soldiers find themselves grappling with the Russians empty-handed.
Ukraine’s controversial new conscription law takes effect
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12.04.2024
The Ukrainian parliament has finally stopped delaying the inevitable and voted for a new law that tightens mobilisation processes, strengthens penalties for draft dodgers and allows the government to track Ukrainian men of military age who are living abroad, at its second reading yesterday. Once the law is signed by Volodymyr Zelensky, more men aged 25 and over will undergo military training for two to three months, then head to the front line in time for Russia’s summer offensive.
But not everything went smoothly. By the request of Oleksandr Syrskyi, the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, lawmakers have removed provisions on demobilisation and the rotation of military personnel from the bill. Syrskyi said it was taking too long to review the more than 4,000 amendments to the bill, while reviewing the issues of grounds for dismissal from military service would take even longer. The issue, he said, was that Ukraine needed more men immediately. So the government was........
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