Fedir Venislavskyi: mass demobilisation impossible until end of martial law, but targeted mechanisms being developed

General demobilisation is not a realistic scenario

Mass discharge of military personnel from the ranks of the Defence Forces is not envisaged until the end of the legal regime of martial law in Ukraine. This was stated by People's Deputy and member of the parliamentary committee on national security, defence and intelligence, Fedir Venislavskyi.

«Питання демобілізації до закінчення правового режиму воєнного стану стояти не може апріорі» (The question of demobilisation cannot arise a priori until the end of the legal regime of martial law), the parliamentarian emphasised. He added that promises of a general discharge of military personnel under current conditions are political populism.

At the same time, Venislavskyi stressed that legislation may provide for the discharge of specific categories of military personnel even during the period of martial law.

Ministry of Defence developing algorithm for targeted discharge

By presidential order, the Ministry of Defence is working out a mechanism intended to make the process of discharge from military service more understandable and predictable. Parliament is awaiting relevant proposals from the department, so specific conditions and deadlines are not yet defined.

Among the criteria that may be taken into account when formulating the rules are prolonged stay in the combat zone and the presence of injuries. The final list of categories of military personnel who will be able to use such an opportunity has not yet been formed.

Principle of fairness and length of service

Particular attention is planned to be paid to the principle of fairness during the development of the mechanism. The goal is to avoid situations where some military personnel receive the opportunity to be discharged, while others, who have served longer and continue to carry out combat tasks, are left without similar prospects.

Fedir Venislavskyi drew attention to the fact that long-term service is not only carried out by military personnel mobilised after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Some defenders have been in the army since 2014 and also do not have defined terms for the end of their service. In the parliamentarian's opinion, this factor must be taken into account when forming discharge criteria.

Context of army reform

Previously, Volodymyr Zelensky announced a new stage of army reform, which may provide for contracts with clear terms of service, the possibility of demobilisation after their completion, and an increase in military pay. The introduction of bonuses for combat tasks and the transformation of Territorial Centres for Recruitment and Social Support into "Reserve Offices+" are also being discussed. At the same time, most proposals are still at the discussion stage, and final decisions and funding sources have not yet been determined.