Ukraine’s military leadership quashes legislation to limit draftees’ service terms, fearing mass demobilization — Ukrainska Pravda

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry drafted legislation that would have introduced rules for discharging and rotating troops during martial law but reportedly withdrew the bill from parliament amid objections from the military’s General Staff. The legislation reportedly proposed allowing a soldier’s demobilization after three years of service — but only if the soldier had participated in combat for a total of 18 months.

According to journalists at Ukrainska Pravda, Ukraine’s military leadership worries that the policy would cause a “substantial reduction in the staffing of combat units.” The outlet’s sources in parliament said the proposed demobilization and rotation measures would affect 108,000 service members, including 14,000 officers.

On April 1, a member of the Ukrainian parliament’s defense committee said the military was developing a rotation mechanism under which, after 90 days of direct participation in combat, a soldier “would have the right to rest for a few months.” 

In 2024, Ukraine’s parliament considered a mobilization bill that included fixed terms of service for military personnel, but lawmakers removed all limits on service terms in the bill’s final version.