Ukrainian lawmaker proposes paid deferment from military service

Serhiy Nahorniak, a member of Ukraine’s parliament from the Servant of the People party, has proposed introducing a system that would allow citizens to officially obtain deferments from military service in exchange for payment, arguing it could reduce corruption and help fund the army.

According to the report, Nahorniak suggested legalising a practice in which individuals already pay bribes to avoid mobilisation, redirecting those funds into a state-run “motivation” fund aimed at supporting the staffing of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“[Those who do not want to serve] will give a bribe of $20,000 and buy the same certificate. Therefore, the optimal option is to offer them the possibility of ‘economic reservation’. Those wishing to receive an official, so to speak, deferment from service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine pay for it. But they pay ‘officially’. And can move freely around Ukraine and travel abroad,” Nahorniak said in an interview with Telegraf.

He argued that the current system is ineffective, noting that “Each brigade is understaffed. Forced mobilisation does not produce the desired effect.”

Nahorniak added that the proposed mechanism could also improve motivation among those who choose to enlist through recruitment campaigns.

Ukraine is currently facing a shortage of personnel in its armed forces, while forced mobilisation has drawn public criticism and contributed to rising corruption in enlistment offices.

General mobilisation has been in place in Ukraine since February 2022 and has been repeatedly extended. Initially, conscription applied to men aged 27 to 60, but in April 2024, the minimum age was reduced to 25. On May 18 of the same year, new legislation tightening mobilisation rules came into force.

By Tamilla Hasanova