As Russia's war drags on, Ukraine tightens mobilization law

"Adopt this law, we need it urgently. We are defending ourselves with our last ounce of strength," General Yuriy Sodol, commander of the joint forces, said before a vote in the Ukrainian parliament on Thursday.

He explained there were seven to 10 times more Russian soldiers than there were Ukrainians on the battlefield, and that the Ukrainian army did not have enough troops.

Lawmakers heeded Sodol's appeal and approved the stricter mobilization rules as put forward by the government at the end of January. The bill will come into force one month after being signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Penalties and rewards

"The law will change the procedure for listing people in the military register, as well as the rules for conscription," said Pavlo Frolov, a lawmaker for the ruling liberal Servant of the People party. "It will also introduce grounds for deferral and discharge from military service, as well as update the lists of people eligible for the reserve. Finally, it will limit the possibilities of evading military service."

Once the law comes into effect, it will be possible to revoke the driver's license of anyone who fails to provide updated information to registration and enlistment offices, unless their vehicle is a crucial component for their main source of income.

Anyone who evades conscription will face fines of between 17,000 and 22,500 hryvnia (up to €540 or $570). Ukrainians abroad will only be able to renew their documents in consulates and embassies if they update their data in the military register at the same time. 

To encourage people to join the army of their own volition, the new law will allow recruits to choose their unit.

Moreover, soldiers who destroy or seize enemy weapons or equipment will receive rewards such as additional leave.

'Motivation will definitely drop' among soldiers

The original bill had contained a provision regarding the discharge of soldiers who had served for 36 months, but it was removed on the eve of the vote. The opposition criticized the move and refused to vote the bill into law in its modified form.

"The right to be discharged is an important incentive," said Iryna Herashchenko, one of the leaders of the opposition European Solidarity Party, on Telegram. "The Servants of the People and their satellites have spat in the face of the military and their families."

"Of course, no one will throw away their weapons and go home from the front. That is unlikely, and will definitely not happen. But, of course, there are problems with motivation," said Ihor Reiterovych, a political scientist at the National Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv. "Among the soldiers fighting at the front, motivation will definitely drop. There will also be a lack of motivation among those [the government] wants to mobilize."

Conscription age lowered

Earlier this month, a law lowering the age of conscription from 27 to 25 came into force in Ukraine. Zelenskyy signed it almost a year after it had been passed. The president also signed into force a law that will allow the Defense Ministry to collect data of citizens aged 17 to 60 from various state registers. The data will be stored systematically in a conscript's electronic account.

Another new law obliges men who were previously deemed as partially fit for military service to undergo a medical examination within nine months. Doctors now have to judge them as fit or unfit for military service; they can no longer be categorized as partially fit.

'We really need mobilization'

Ivan Yakubets, a former commander of the Ukrainian Airborne Forces and now a colonel in reserve, believes Ukraine will have to take further unpopular measures. He said the combat call-up age could even fall to 21.

Yakubets added that the Ukrainian army needed more manpower as soon as possible and that training new recruits would now take between three and six months, thanks to the new law.

"People have to fight. Without people who keep up the defense, grenades, bullets, missiles, drones and all the technology are just a piece of iron. We really need mobilization," he said.

The Ukrainian authorities have yet to announce how many recruits will be drafted this year.

This article was originally written in Ukrainian.