Registered at 17, enlisted at 18: all the updates on the new law regarding military registration and medical examinations for draftees.

Changes in Military Registration: at the TCC from 17 Years

From now on, every year from January 1 to July 31, men who turn 17 in that year will be registered as conscripts with the corresponding information entered into the "Oberih" registry by:

• identifying and clarifying data through the electronic cabinet;
• submitting documents, the list of which is established by the Ministry of Defense, in person at the TCC and SP.

Respectable reasons for not clarifying their data through the electronic cabinet and/or not arriving at the TCC and SP on time are recognized as:

• illness;
• natural disaster;
• residing (staying) in temporarily occupied territories or areas of combat;
• other circumstances that prevented the possibility of undergoing electronic identification or appearing at the TCC and SP.

Citizens who do not register as conscripts on time will only be registered after personally arriving at the TCC and SP.

An important change is the cancellation of the commission on issues related to the registration of conscripts and the initial medical examination. However, a medical examination will become mandatory immediately before being sent for basic military service and before starting practical classes in basic general military training, which will be implemented in higher education institutions starting in 2025.

From now on, the commissions responsible for directing individuals for military service will consist of:

• a representative from the education department of the district administration (instead of the deputy head);
• a representative from the National Police (instead of the deputy head for working with minors).

Additionally, district (city) commissions regarding the direction for military service will submit requests for deferments from basic military service to higher-level commissions in cases not provided for by this law.

This means that such district (city) commissions will have the authority to independently determine the grounds that can be considered for deferment, while higher-level commissions will review such grounds and grant deferments accordingly. The Main Legal Department of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine noted that this creates a risk of inconsistent approaches by these commissions in addressing these issues for different categories of citizens, and thus, this mechanism for granting deferments on grounds not provided for by this law will not ensure protection against arbitrary interference by state authorities in individual rights and freedoms and equality before the law.

In turn, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy identified the fact that district (city) commissions have been granted the right to independently decide to whom to grant deferments from basic military service and to determine the grounds for such deferments, even if they are not provided for by law, as a corruption risk.

Moreover, changes regarding military registration are now in effect. Men up to 25 years of age will be registered as conscripts, in accordance with Article 14, as well as women who express a desire to undergo basic military service.

The following individuals will be registered as military personnel:

• conscripts who have received special ranks of private, sergeant, or officer;
• women under the conditions specified in paragraph 11 of Article 1;
• after completing military training for reserve officers.

The latter will be subject to removal from the register of conscripts.

Changes in Military Service: Young Recruits

From now on, the military rank of recruit will be held, in particular, by individuals undergoing basic military service until the completion of basic general military training. Additionally, the rule for adding the terms "justice", "medical service", and "chaplain service" to the military ranks of the officer corps will also extend to units of administrative and jurisdictional activities of the State Emergency Service.

Furthermore, military personnel serving under contract may now include those who have completed basic general military training, as well as individuals aged 18 and older who have completed basic general military training.

It is proposed to specify that the procedure for military service for personnel deemed unfit will be determined by regulatory legal acts of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The provisions regarding the approval of the list of positions for such individuals will be excluded.

For citizens who voluntarily arrive at military units to serve under mobilization, the day of enrollment in the personnel lists of the military unit will be considered the start of service.

During the state of martial law, based on the decision of the head of the higher military educational institution or the head of a higher education institution with military training divisions, the duration of military training for citizens of Ukraine under the reserve officer training program may be reduced by half.

"In addition, until March 1, 2025, the possibility for military personnel who unlawfully left military units or deserted before November 21, 2024, to voluntarily return has been extended," the expert reminds.

It is worth noting that students of higher education institutions may refuse to undergo the practical part of basic general military training. The consequence of such a decision is clear — they will not obtain the chosen specialty and will be expelled.