Partial discharge of military personnel will begin this fall — Ukraine’s Defence Minister

“We have agreed with the President that, starting late autumn this year, a partial discharge from service will begin for those who have been in the army since 2022 or earlier,” he said.

The discharge mechanism will be based on two criteria: the total length of service since 2014 and the number of days spent in combat.

“If, for example, you have been [serving] since 2022 and spent a large number of days in combat, you may already be discharged from service by presidential decree at the end of this year,” Fedorov said.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence launched a pilot project allowing military personnel to voluntarily switch to two-year contracts, upon completion of which they are guaranteed a deferment of at least six months (adding the days spent in combat).

This drew criticism from some service members, who emphasised that, according to this reform, it would not be possible to discharge the army until 2028 at the earliest. Defence Minister Fedorov said that the presidential decree on the discharge of military personnel who have been serving since 2022 or earlier will have priority over newly signed contracts.

Decisions on discharge will be made by the General Staff based on data regarding the number of combat missions and length of service. To this end, the Ministry of Defence will create a special calculator so that every servicemember can check in which month their discharge is likely to take place.

Fedorov pointed out that, prior to this, the minimum contract for military service was three years and did not allow for a deferment upon its completion. Service members who signed a contract earlier are also eligible for a deferment under the new formula or may sign a new contract with guaranteed leave.