Ukraine drafts bill to tighten penalties for mobilisation evasion

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence is preparing draft legislation that would introduce stricter measures against citizens who evade military mobilisation, according to a senior lawmaker.

Oleksiy Venislavsky, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, said the proposed bill is expected to be submitted to the relevant parliamentary committee in the near future, after which it will be opened for further discussion, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

Venislavsky indicated that the initiative is based on the principle that citizens who fail to fulfill their constitutional duty to defend the country should not face lighter consequences than those who neglect other legal obligations.

He drew a comparison with penalties for unpaid child support in Ukraine, noting that enforcement measures against alimony defaulters — such as the seizure of property and bank accounts — are currently stricter than those applied to individuals who evade military service.

He also stated that the proposed changes are intended to reduce the number of conflicts between citizens and territorial recruitment centers, which are responsible for mobilisation procedures. However, he did not provide specific details on how the new measures would achieve this objective.

Further information about the content of the draft law has not yet been disclosed.

By Sabina Mammadli