On 17 July 2024, all the changes to the new mobilisation law finally came into force, removing the category of ‘limitedly fit’, excluding some men from those who had previously been granted a deferment and introducing some other changes to the mobilisation process. Find out more about who will be granted a deferment and on what grounds, and how to get an electronic deferment through the Reserve+ app

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We tell you who lost the right to deferral after the new law came into force and who gained it.

There are no more limited eligibility categories. What happens now?

All men who have previously received the status of “limitedly fit” automatically lose it, which means they also lose the right to deferment under this clause. From now on, everyone who has a “limitedly fit” mark on their military ID card is required to undergo a medical examination again, which will determine whether they are fit or unfit for service.

For which citizens are required to have military registration documents when crossing the border and what are the exceptions, read here.

The latest amendments state that this category of persons liable for military service has 9 months to undergo a re-commission. Namely, until February 4, 2025.

Please note! If you have updated your data within the statutory period, but have not passed the re-commission, the MCC may send a summons to send you to the re-commission. And if, after the second commission, you are found unfit for service, you will acquire the status of “unfit for military service” with exclusion from the military register, which automatically makes you not liable for military service.

The list of diseases exempting from mobilization is available here. It is important to note that the determination of fitness/unfitness will be based not on the disease itself, but on the degree of damage to certain organs.

Who has already lost the right to deferment?

With the start of the full-scale invasion, men began to enroll in higher education institutions more actively, hoping to avoid mobilization. However, with the entry into force of the new law, not all students will be able to use the draft deferment. Now, the deferment is granted only to those students who are studying full-time or dual enrollment, obtaining a higher level of education than the previous one.

This means that a second or third higher education will no longer allow for a draft deferment.

Itshould be noted that the new law also reduced the conscription age, which resulted in the loss of the deferral for men aged 25+.

In addition, parents with many children who have child support arrears will also lose the right to deferment. Territorial Completion Centers will have access to the register of debtors and will check everyone who applies for a deferral under this item.

Starting from August 1, those who care for their spouses' parents with disability groups 1 or 2 also lost the right to deferment. From now on, only caring for one's own parents with disabilities is eligible for deferral.

A half-brother of the deceased will no longer be able to get a deferral, only the presence of a brother who died in war gives the right to a deferral.

Another innovation is the deprivation of the deferment of conscription for employees of enterprises, institutions and organizations of the Ministry of Defense.

In ourprevious article, we talked about the fact that Ukraine has decided to significantly increase fines for violations of the mobilization rules, including these rules.

Who will be eligible for a military service deferment under the new law?

According to the provisions of the new law, the following groups of persons will be entitled to a deferment from mobilization from May 2024:

1. Persons with disabilities of all groups, confirmed by the Military Qualification Commission (with a second examination in 6-12 months);

2. Persons who were held in captivity and discharged from service in the reserve;

3. Parents of many children with minor children in the absence of child support arrears;

4. Parents and guardians of minor children with any disability group;

5. Parents who support an adult child with a disability group I or II;

6. Parents of minor children, if the other parent is in military service;

7. Single mothers and fathers;

8. Scientists and teachers who work at least 0.75 time;

9. Guardians of persons recognized by the court as incapacitated;

10. Persons who support parents with disability group I or II, if the family no longer has a non-military person who could legally take care of such a person.

11. Grandchildren of a grandparent with disability group I or II, if the close relatives are absent, ill or mobilized;

12. Persons whose close relatives are missing, killed during military service or posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.

Find out which men can cross the border after July 17, 2024 here.

In addition, some law enforcement officers and civil servants have also been granted a deferral from mobilization. These are:

1. Members of Parliament;

2. Judges;

3. The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights;

4. The Chairman and other members of the Accounting Chamber;

5. Diplomatic officials;

6. Employees of military administration bodies, military units of the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces, the State Border Guard Service, the Security Service of Ukraine, the SZRU, the National Guard Service, the State Border Guard Service, the MIA apparatus and experts of the MIA expert service institutions.

The right to deferment must be confirmed in the MCC, otherwise a person may be called up for service.

Important: men of military age who are abroad and have ignored the data update will no longer be able to obtain or extend their driver's license. You can read more about this in our material.

If a person liable for military service did not have time to update their data, they still have the opportunity to do so, as well as the opportunity to avoid a fine. Read how to do it here.

If you have any difficulties with the preparation of the necessary documents or any other problems, please contact professional lawyers for advice. Our experts will help you find a solution using an individual approach to each situation. You can order a consultation by following the link.

Will husbands whose wives have a disability of group III be able to get a deferral?

Spouses of persons with group III disabilities are subject to restrictions. Such men liable for military service will receive a deferment only if the wife's Group III disability is caused by cancer, missing limbs, mental disorder in oncology, cerebral palsy or other paralytic syndromes.

Read more about the grounds for men to travel abroad after May 2024.

Who is eligible for mobilization reservations?

According to the provisions of the new law, only employees of enterprises important to the country will be able to receive reservations. However, even they must be registered in a special register.

The following categories of persons liable for military service can apply for reservations:

1. High-ranking officials;

2. Heads of regional and district councils, cities and villages;

3. Employees of government agencies and state institutions;

4. Final beneficiaries of critical enterprises;

5. Employees of the media and culture sector;

6. Employees of other enterprises that are critical to the needs of the Armed Forces and the functioning of the economy.

Read here who needs to update their military registration data in the CC and how to do it. The procedure for updating data for persons liable for military service abroad is available here.

Electronic deferment through Reserve Plus: who can get it and how?

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has introduced a new digital service for applying for a deferment from mobilisation through the Reserve+ application. This innovation allows citizens to receive a deferment without visiting government offices.

The procedure is as simple as possible: the user logs into the app and sends a request. The system independently checks the information through state registers and instantly displays the electronic deferment in the military document. This approach eliminates the need to stand in queues and reduces the likelihood of errors in documents.

The service is currently live and allows three groups of people to apply for a deferment: people with disabilities, students and postgraduates. Later, parents with many children will be able to apply for an electronic deferment.

The instructions are sent by email - first to students and postgraduates, then to people with disabilities and large families.

Read more about how to get a deferment through Reserve+ here. 

Just a reminder. It seems that Ukrainians will be able to update their credentials again through the Reserve+ app. Read what the Ministry of Defence has to say about this here.

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

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