Zelensky’s Representative in Parliament Dismissed Following Comments on ‘Conscription via Email’

President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Fedir Venislavsky, a member of parliament belonging to Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, from his role as the President’s representative in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament.

The official decree announcing this decision has been published on President Zelensky’s official website on Thursday, Dec. 7.

Venislavsky said that the rationale behind his removal from the position of the presidential representative was his involvement in multiple military projects.

Speaking to LIGA.net, he explained that these military projects frequently require him to visit the front line.

"I do not always have the time to fulfil the duties of the Presidential Representative," Venislavsky said.

On Dec. 5, during an interview with RBC Ukraine, Venislavsky disclosed that Ukraine is preparing a bill that that provides for the issuance of conscription summonses through both email and registered mail.

“In the draft law, we intend to specify the option of delivering summonses not solely through personal handover with signature but also via email and registered mail,” Venislavsky said.

He explained that although a notification about the delivery of a registered letter is sent to the recipient’s mailbox, the actual summons must be personally handed over by postal service representatives.

Additionally, Venislavsky pointed out that Ukraine has an electronic registry for conscripts. This registry includes detailed identification information to make the process of receiving summonses more efficient.

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“These regulations aim to facilitate the receipt of a summons and prevent individuals from purportedly evading receipt and violating the law,” he explained.

Simultaneously, the proposed legislation seeks to expand the individuals authorized to deliver conscription notices beyond representatives of territorial recruitment centers to include local governments and executive authorities.

While Venislavsky noted that the specifics are still under discussion and the draft law remains unregistered, he expressed optimism that the document will be formally registered in its final version by week’s end.