Hearings in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on National Security and Defence entitled: “On the ways to increase citizens’ motivation in doing military service within the units that participate in the antiterrorist operation in the East of Ukraine”

Information Department of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariat
31 January 2015, 14:26

Issues pertaining to determining factors that would stimulate citizens to voluntarily enter on military service, as well as those pertaining to elimination of factors that prevent mobilization of military men, were discussed during the meeting.   

Opening hearings, Secretary of the Committee Ivan Vinnyk informed that yesterday President of Ukraine signed the Decree No. 40/2015 “On additional measures to secure partial mobilization in 2015” that entrusts the Cabinet of Ministers to urgently establish the order for applying norms and provision of the laws “On Military Duty and Military Service”, “On amendments to several legislative acts of Ukraine re refining defense and mobilization issues in the course of mobilization”, “On Social and Legal Protection of Military Men and Members of their Families”, “On the Nation Guard of Ukraine”; settle the issue of legislative settlement for exiting Ukraine by the citizens of Ukraine that are subject for recruitment to military service during mobilization for the special period, and, following its results, refer the respective proposals in the established order.      

I.Vinnyk noted that the issue of mobilization is a nationwide task.

First Deputy Chairperson of Defence Minister Ivan Rusnak said that establishment of favorable socio-psychological conditions for recruiting citizens to military service would be impossible unless national defense and security policy is settled at a state level.  

Ivan Rusnak provided some figures pertaining to the number of citizens that evade military service.

I.Rusnak believes that the Verkhovna Rada should uphold the proposals on improving social protection of military men. 

First Deputy Minister of Defence claimed the Verkhovna Rada should adopt several bills aimed at supporting activity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations in terms of a special period.

Participants of the hearings stressed that the problem of increasing citizens' motivation and staffing the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations has two interconnected and complementary components: a moral and a material one.

They also emphasized the information support of events on staffing the Armed Forces, particularly,  forming in mass media a positive image of a military man and military formations, covering heroism of ATO participants, their devotion to Ukraine.

It was also stressed that it's necessary to improve the system of legal and social protection of ATO participants and their family members.

Following the results of the hearings, the Committee plans to generalize information on the considered issues and adopt recommendations on specific measures.