Ukraine’s New Mobilization Law Comes Into Force

Ukraine’s new mobilization law to bolster the country’s manpower reserve came into force on Saturday, May 18.

The new law includes major changes to the country’s mobilization drive, the most notable of which is lowering the minimum age for conscription from 27 to 25 and replacing conscription with military training for men aged 18-25.

The new law also stipulates that men aged 18-60 in Ukraine are to carry their military registration documents with them at all times and present them upon request from military commission officers, police officers or border guards.

Starting May 18, conscripts are also required to update their current address, contact information and other military records within 60 days through government institutions or the Rezerv+ mobile application, which was released on the same day.

Men previously deemed medically unfit for service are also required to retake the medical examination, where exemptions on medical grounds now require additional approval from a different, more senior medical commission.

The Ministry of Defense also updated the list of diseases, conditions and physical disabilities used to determine military service eligibility, as reported by RBC Ukraine.

As for Ukrainian men abroad, the new law stipulates that they will not be able to receive consular services – including passport renewals – without military registration, though it’s not immediately clear if they can start receiving services starting May 18 after the recent suspensions. 

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The new law does not include terms for demobilization.

A recent Kyiv Post Op-Ed covered the new mobilization initiative in detail.