Ministry of Defense Requests Delay in Demobilization Bill Preparation until March 18

Ukraine‘s Ministry of Defense Requests Delay on Demobilization Law

In a move that emphasizes ongoing military needs, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has requested a delay in the preparation of a law outlining the conditions for demobilizing military personnel during a state of martial law. The MoD has asked the Verkhovna Rada‘s Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence to postpone the deadline for drafting the legislation until March 18, 2025.

The MoD’s request, confirmed by a source within the parliamentary defense committee and via a letter from Minister of Defense Rustem Umelandiev to the committee, cites ongoing work on perfecting mechanisms for troop rotation and determining the order and conditions for dismissing certain categories of military personnel during martial law.

The draft law, currently under review, proposes new norms for dismissals and rotations of military personnel who have served extensively in combat zones. It has been circulated for agreement with the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the State Special Transport Service Administration. However, the General Staff has not supported the current project, stating that its introduction into the Verkhovna Rada is feasible only if there is a sufficient reserve of trained military personnel and a satisfactory intake of conscripts.

Should the law be implemented in its current form, an estimated 108,000 military personnel could potentially be dismissed, including 14,000 officers, leading to a significant decrease in the manning of combat units.

In response, the MoD has developed two alternative draft laws that aim to better address the needs of military personnel serving during martial law:

1. Military personnel who have served continually for 36 months and were in combat zones for at least 18 of those months would be entitled to either:

   • A two-month rehabilitation period, followed by a 30-day vacation with continued salary;
   • A 90-day vacation with continued salary.
2. Commanders would be obligated to rotate military personnel who have been actively involved in combat operations for 90 days.

The MoD has stressed that these alternatives require thorough discussion and a decision at the highest state level. Given these considerations, they have also requested that the committee postpone the task of drafting the demobilization law until March 18, 2025.

This request comes months after Ukraine implemented martial law, following Russia’s invasion in 2022. In April of this year, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on mobilization, revised in May to exclude provisions for dismissing military personnel. The parliament subsequently directed the Ministry of Defense to develop a draft law outlining the conditions for dismissing military personnel within eight months. The Ministry had initially planned to complete this task by December 18, 2024.

As the war continues, Ukraine’s military faces ongoing challenges, including rotational needs and burnout among its personnel. The fate of the demobilization law now hinges on further discussions at the highest state levels, with a decision expected by March 2025.