Ukraine Plans to Tighten Restrictions on Draft Dodgers
Ukraine has drafted bills that would impose new restrictions on citizens who evade mobilization. Possible measures include freezing bank accounts, restricting access to government services, and revoking driver’s licenses.
Ukraine may significantly increase penalties for citizens who evade mobilization. Military Ombudswoman Olga Reshetilova reported that draft laws have already been prepared that impose a series of new restrictions on such individuals. At the same time, she emphasized that the bills have not yet been registered with the Verkhovna Rada, so their adoption is not currently on the agenda.
According to Reshetilova, the main purpose of these legislative changes is not only to increase penalties for violators but also to make the mechanisms for tracking them down more effective. In addition, it is proposed to restrict access to certain government services if a person knowingly violates the legal requirements regarding mobilization.
Among the possible measures are restrictions on access to administrative services, temporary suspension of driver’s licenses, and the freezing of bank accounts. Such measures may be applied to citizens who evade their mobilization obligations. “This is a set of measures that will enable more effective investigative actions against offenders who evade mobilization, while also restricting their freedom of movement and access to certain services provided by the state,” explained Olga Reshetilova.
At the same time, the military ombudswoman emphasized that increasing accountability should not occur in isolation but alongside comprehensive reforms in the area of military service. In her view, it is also necessary to establish a clear mechanism for the gradual demobilization of service members who have been on the front lines for a long time. “This set of measures must go hand in hand with a well-thought-out, gradual demobilization of service members. These are the clear terms of service we’ve been discussing for a long time,” she noted.
Reshetilova also commented on the system for reserving workers. She believes that the current approach needs to be revised. In her view, Ukraine should gradually move away from economic mobilization exemptions and transition to the principle of critical mobilization exemptions, whereby deferrals are granted only to those specialists without whom the operation of critically important enterprises and sectors is truly impossible.
According to the ombudswoman, this will help distribute the mobilization burden more evenly. She believes that such an approach will allow for the gradual replacement of military personnel who have been serving for several years with new, well-trained personnel. “We need to review the principles of exemption in various sectors of the economy, and this entire set of measures should effectively ensure a rotational principle. We are gradually releasing from the army those who have been serving for several years, and at the same time, we are replenishing the army with new, fresh personnel,” Reshetilova said.
The draft laws are currently in the drafting stage. They have not yet been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada, so the final list of proposed restrictions may change during further refinement. If the bills are registered, they will still need to be reviewed by members of parliament, after which it will become clear exactly which provisions may take effect. This was reported by Military Ombudswoman Olga Reshetilova during an interview on Radio Svoboda.
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