Ukraine - April 2024
New mobilization law comes into effect
Ukraine’s long-debated new law on mobilization was signed into law on 16 April after a lengthy political and legislative process. The law intends to address the Ukrainian military’s struggle to recruit sufficient troops to continue to resist the Russian invasion, properly train and deploy new recruits, identify and punish draft evaders, and close loopholes that allow some Ukrainian men to otherwise avoid conscription. The new law overhauls the recruitment process, lowers the age for draft eligibility from 27 to 25, reduces the grounds for deferment, and introduces more penalties for evading conscription. The law has received criticism for not addressing the issue of demobilization.
Sources: Kyiv Independent (1), Centre of United Actions, Kyiv Independent (2), The Village Ukraine
Mobilization-aged men to lose consular services
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced on 23 April it would cease consular support for Ukrainian men aged 18-60 residing abroad – meaning men would have to return to Ukraine to renew a passport, for example - with foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba suggesting these men should return to Ukraine and enlist in the armed forces. As with Ukraine’s conscription law, the policy does not apply to women.
Sources: Kyiv Independent, The Village Ukraine
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