Ukrainians may be enrolled in the reserve for five years following their basic military service
This is reported by the “Judicial and Legal Gazette”, citing a bill registered with the Verkhovna Rada.
The Verkhovna Rada is proposing to establish a system of long-term military service and a reserve force.
The relevant bill provides for a multi-tiered model of military service, the automatic enrolment of citizens into the active reserve following basic service, and annual training exercises for reservists.
The aim of the document is to form a permanent ‘pool’ of trained citizens, reduce the dependence of defence capability on ‘chaotic mobilisation’, make the conscription system more predictable, increase trust in the state and reduce corruption risks.
The draft law proposes establishing three types of military service:
- basic military service;
- service in the active reserve;
- service in the operational reserve.
The duration of basic military service is to be 12 months.
Upon completion, citizens will automatically be enrolled in the active reserve for a period of 5 years.
For those in the active reserve, regular training sessions lasting two weeks are scheduled once a year.
The document also proposes guaranteeing job security and average earnings for employees who are called up for such training sessions.
What is envisaged for the operational reserve
Citizens enrolled in the operational reserve will be required to report for duty upon call-up in the event of a threat to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The final provisions of the draft law propose amendments to Article 119 of the Labour Code of Ukraine.
In particular, this concerns the provision whereby employees called up for training assemblies as part of military service in the active reserve will retain their place of work, position and average earnings.
What the Cabinet of Ministers must do
If the law is passed, the Cabinet of Ministers will have three months to prepare the necessary amendments to launch the new model of military service.
The government must also develop procedures for conducting training exercises for the active reserve, bring its regulatory acts into line with the law, and ensure that the acts of ministries and other central executive bodies are updated.
The explanatory note states that the need for the draft law is linked to the protracted nature of the war and the necessity to create a permanent reserve of trained citizens.
The author of the document emphasises that the new system should legislatively regulate long-term military service and the reserve, reduce the dependence of defence capability on mobilisation processes, and make conscription more predictable for citizens.
The financial and economic justification states that the implementation of the draft law will not require additional expenditure from the state budget. In future, funding is to be provided within the limits of the funds allocated to the defence sector.
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