Ukraine’s parliament approves new mobilization law despite criticism from battle-worn troops

KYIV — After one failed attempt and more than three months of discussion, the Ukrainian parliament voted Thursday in favor of a new law giving the government more power to mobilize society for war and punish draft-dodgers, but offering little respite for its war-weary troops.

The legislation, which must be signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to become law, allows military recruitment offices to sue people who evade mandatory conscription and stiffens punishments for those who do not show up to their draft summons on time. It also obliges local governments and police to help the military in mobilization efforts.

The bill also calls for all men of fighting age, which was recently decreased from 27 to 25, to show up for medical examination and renew their data in local conscription offices. Ukrainian men living abroad also have to update their contact number and address online.

At the same time, lawmakers left the possibility to avoid the draft for state law enforcement and police, and government officials. Private and state enterprises can exempt employees from military service.

The Ukrainian parliament chose not to include in the bill a clause allowing soldiers to return home after three years of service, which had been the standard policy before the Kremlin's full-scale invasion in February 2022. The move prompted widespread outrage among those who have spent the last two years fighting Russian forces, leaving them feeling abandoned and with little hope of returning to civilian life or even enjoying a proper vacation.

Soldiers who already serve in the army were infuriated by the fact that the bill does not give them an end-date, but at the same time leaves plenty of legal possibilities for the new recruits to avoid being called up or deployed, Ukrainian serviceman Yegor Firsov said in a Facebook post.

"This ambiguity shows us we're being fooled," he said.

Ukraine's military had urged parliamentarians not to allow soldiers to demobilize, arguing it could impact the already bleak situation on the front lines.

"Currently, we can’t weaken the Defense Forces," Ukrainian defense ministry spokesman Dmytro Lazutkin said Wednesday.

Lazutkin said that lawmakers would be working on a new law to bring home worn-down troops from the battlefield and rotate in fresh soldiers.

But Firsov said troops also need real encouragement, such as financial rewards for success on the battlefield. He said that while some proposals have been floated in the news, nothing has trickled down to those fighting, which "demotivates" servicemen.

"It says our efforts are not appreciated," he said.