Mobilization in Ukraine: can a person with a disability be drafted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine?

According to lawyer Rostislav Kravets, due to the medical reform planned by the Ministry of Health, 90% of people with disabilities risk losing this status.

The current legislation of Ukraine today prohibits the mobilization of a person with any disability group into the army without his consent. This provision of the law was explained by the senior partner of the law firm “Kravets and Partners” Rostislav Kravets.

At the same time, he suggested that it is quite possible that this will happen after the medical reform announced by the government, drawing attention to the statement on this matter by the head of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Viktor Lyashko.

“It is expected that as a result of it (the reform - Ed.) the concept of “disability” will be replaced by the concept of “loss of functionality,” the lawyer emphasized.

Kravets believes that replacing the mentioned concepts could lead to the fact that all men with disabilities could be forced to re-pass the relevant medical commissions.

“I think that 90% of disabled people will cease to be disabled. They will introduce a certain percentage of loss of functionality, according to which men can be mobilized. I suspect that this is exactly what is being prepared,” he suggested.

At the same time, the lawyer emphasized that the possibility of mobilizing a person liable for military service with a disability only at his own request is enshrined in Art. 23 of the Law of Ukraine “On mobilization preparation and mobilization”. At the same time, Kravets notes, it absolutely does not matter what disability group a person is assigned to.