Zelenskyi signs law on drafting reservists for military service

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed a law on drafting reservists for a special period.

The Office of the President reports.

The President signed the Law "On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine on improving certain issues of military duty and military enlistment" 1357-IX, which was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on March 30, 2021, at the President's initiative.

"This document improves the requirements for staffing the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military organizations with reservists (military-trained personnel with combat experience) in a special period without declaring mobilization. It will allow replenishing military units of all state defense forces with reservists quickly, significantly increasing their combat capability during the rapidly growing military aggression, as well as rapidly increase the combat potential of the defense forces and respond to sudden threats to national security," the statement said.

The law introduces a new type of military service: military service drafting reservists in a special period.

"Thus, during a special period, citizens who concluded contracts for military reserve service and/or are enlisted in the military operational reserve will be drafted for military service. The decision to draft will be made by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the proposal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The decision will determine the categories of reservists who'll need to be drafted, tasks, volumes, terms, and procedure for conducting the draft, etc," the statement stressed.

Citizens, drafted from among the reservists during a special period, will be covered by the same labor, social, legal, and educational guarantees, provided for mobilized persons. In particular, guarantees are provided to promote employment for young people for six months after the termination of such service.

The law of Ukraine signed by the President also reforms the system of military enlistment and the activities of local military authorities, based on European principles and approaches.

They plan to create territorial staffing and social support centers based on military registration and enlistment offices; to streamline the issues of military registration of draftees, conscripts, and reservists.

The procedure for military registration of reservists is being improved, among other things, with the help of the automated information and telecommunication system "Oberih" (Unified State Register of Conscripts and Reservists).

Besides, the law modernizes the requirements for administrative liability of officials, reservists, conscripts, and draftees for violating the legislation on military duty and military service and intentional damage or loss because of the negligence of military records.

Criminal liability for evading conscription during a special period is also introduced; from military enlistment or training (special) meetings.