Ukraine’s Defense Ministry is finalizing a new bill to address the urgent issue of service terms for soldiers who have been defending Ukraine since the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion.
The Verkhovna Rada is expected to consider the bill, which will allow military personnel to be discharged after three years of continuous service, in early February.
People are getting tired and need to have more certainty about the terms of their service.
“This is the main demand of people who have been defending Ukraine for more than two years, and for whom it is very important to find replacements,” Deputy Defense Minister Natalia Kalmykovacommented on the latest version of the bill for the Ukrainian military media outlet ArmyInform on Jan. 12.
The new bill provides for a service period of 36 months, after which active military personnel can be discharged. This period will allow for the training and preparation of replacements. Delays in passing the bill will postpone the recruitment process.
“The bill also provides for the discharge of conscripts, people who should be able to resign for health reasons. And we must take a responsible approach to mobilization and establish the necessary standards, including in training,” said Kalmykova.
“That is why the concept of a conscript is clearly defined there, i.e. when a person is in training and has not yet taken up service.”
Demobilization – current terms of service:
Soldiers, sergeants and officers
According to the recent amendments to the Law on Military Duty and Military Service, soldiers, sergeants and officers who have graduated from specialized military educational institutions, higher military educational institutions, military units of higher educational institutions and who have attained a level of specialized military education through the training program for military service in the positions of sergeants and senior sergeants have a term of service of at least 5 years.
Previously, the term of service for these military personnel could range from 24 to 60 months (2 to 5 years), depending on the place of service.
The term of service for privates, sergeants, petty officers, junior officers, senior officers and warrant officers during martial law is as follows:
• Up to 12 months for conscripts with a master’s degree
• Up to 18 months for soldiers and sailors, sergeants and sergeants major performing regular military service in the Armed Forces and other military formations.
• Up to 36 months for contract soldiers serving as privates and up to five years for those serving as sergeants and sergeants major.
• 24 to 60 months for conscripts who have been assigned a primary military rank after completing a full course of military training under the Reserve Officer Training Program or as part of the certification process for persons prior to the assignment of primary military ranks to reserve officers
• 60 months for conscripts who graduated from professional military colleges, higher military educational institutions, military educational units of higher educational institutions and who obtained a level of professional military education within the framework of a training program for military service as sergeants and non-commissioned officers
• 12 to 60 months for other categories of conscripts.
Demobilization of conscripts:
During martial law, conscripts remain in military service until the end of martial law, demobilization, or until there is a reason for discharge under the law.
As of Aug. 1, 2023, conscripts whose term of service has expired may be voluntarily mobilized and transferred to the status of mobilized persons with the corresponding rights, subordination and service procedures.
Demobilization of mobilized persons:
Soldiers called up for mobilization as of February 24, 2022 shall serve until the end of martial law or until the announcement of demobilization. They may be discharged in the cases provided by law, if they have documents confirming the reasons for the discharge.
For contract soldiers:
Military personnel serving under contract serve for the period for which they signed the contract. When the contract expires, it is automatically renewed, and such soldiers continue to serve until the end of martial law, demobilization, or until there is a reason for dismissal in accordance with the law.
Soldiers serving under contract who do not have Ukrainian citizenship have the right to be discharged at their own request, unlike Ukrainian citizens.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine