Mobilization in Ukraine: who can be allowed to travel abroad?

A full-scale war has been going on in Ukraine for the fourth month already, all this time martial law has been in effect in the country and general mobilization has been carried out.

This Friday (June 24, 2022), a bill was introduced in Parliament to prevent men between 18 and 60 from traveling abroad during mobilization, but to allow those who are not subject to it. Previously, the ban was contained only in a presidential decree. Let's see what this bill is. Who will it affect? Moreover, it is more likely not about a ban, but about an indulgence.

Mobilization in Ukraine: what changes 

Mobilization remains to this day a sore subject for many. War is not a game on a console, in which men sometimes like to “cut themselves”. Everything that happens on the battlefield is reality - hostile and dangerous.

Yes, there were really many who wanted to go to war and join the ranks of the defenders of Ukraine, many such people even now. But if we are talking about something universal, then opinions differ.

Remember how at the end of May a petition appeared on the President's website to lift the ban on men leaving Ukraine? It contained a proposal to give priority to volunteers during mobilization, and for the rest to open borders so as not to provoke corruption.

And she, by the way, scored the necessary 25 thousand votes. And the president had to answer it.

In his subsequent response, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was less emotional. The President cited three articles of the Constitution and his own decree imposing martial law, noting that the latter stipulates the lifting of travel restrictions only after the end of martial law.

On the one hand, it was not worth waiting for a different answer, on the other hand, we have not gone away from such news either.

After 4 months of the war, almost daily, law enforcement agencies detain the organizers of schemes for the export of conscripts abroad, who do this for several thousand dollars. Someone is trying to leave under the guise of a volunteer, someone in a more creative way.

In other words, the issue of mobilization did not become of less interest.

The other day shed some light on the question Defense Ministry Speaker Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, who stated that the mobilization in Ukraine will last as long as necessary to resupply all units leading the defense. So far, this process has been officially announced on August 23.

Of course, a certain category of people is exempt from mobilization. Who will not be served subpoenas, you can read on our website, where my colleagues set out everything in detail.

Zelensky announced the draft on the Israeli model

The same week, Vladimir Zelensky announced possible changes in conscription to the Ukrainian army according to the Israeli model. And this also changes the picture in a certain way, albeit in the long term.

The model implies that all future students are drafted into the army or do alternative service, and only then receive an education.

Meanwhile, on Friday, three deputies from the Servant of the People faction, Mikhail Laba, Alexei Kuznetsov and Anatoly Ostapenko, submitted to parliament bill № 7484. He proposes to legislate the restriction on the travel abroad of men of military age during martial law. Previously, the ban was contained only in a presidential decree.

Although the title of this bill speaks of a ban, it is more about concessions.

Namely: the document proposes to allow travel abroad during martial law to a number of categories of citizens who are not subject to conscription for military service for mobilization, listed in article 23 of the Law of Ukraine "On mobilization preparation and mobilization".

Among these categories, in addition to fathers of many children, guardians of people with disabilities, and civil servants, there are students, graduate students and doctoral students of full-time or dual form of education, as well as scientific and scientific and pedagogical workers of universities, institutions of pre-higher and vocational education.

Now these categories of citizens, despite the exemption from mobilization, cannot travel outside the country - except for cases of receiving education abroad.

So it is possible that such a specific situation will become an educational motivation for someone. Ukraine also really needs people of intellectual labor.

There is another interesting point. The new bill proposes to allow the admission to military service during the period of mobilization - persons with disabilities. But what is important - exclusively at their own request and subject to service within the region of their residence.

So, in fact, the bill satisfies everyone. And those who are terribly afraid to go to serve. And those who have a great desire, but for some reason did not have the opportunity to do so.

What will be the fate of this initiative, we will find out in the near future and will definitely tell you.