Verkhovna Rada passes law on mobilization in Ukraine

The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) has adopted in the second and final reading a law tightening the rules for mobilization in Ukraine, which earlier caused quite an uproar among the public.

 

According to the broadcast of the session, 283 deputies voted for the bill, 21 voted against and 15 abstained. Thus, the law was passed by a simple majority.

 

The law provides for stricter rules around the mobilization procedure, including penalties for evasion as well as clarification of the categories of individuals subject to mobilization. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are expected to be mobilized. The Strana weekly estimated that Ukraine could mobilize as many as 700,000 people. Earlier, the authorities said that it was necessary to mobilize about 500,000 people, although they later backtracked on this number.

 

The law will now go to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for signing, after which it will be officially published. As lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported earlier, the law will go into effect one month after its publication.