The Ukraine parliament has passed a new law that changes the terms of military service. Before the new law, compulsory service was limited to three years, now the terms are indefinite, meaning once you are signed up you are compelled to serve until the military releases you.
One serviceman, Artem Osipyan, a former psychologist, might represent the overall sentiment of many other service members, writing on Facebook “Knowingly and voluntarily, I will become part of the most depraved category of citizens in my own country. Who will I be next? Do I have to always remain a serviceman? Has my life been that insignificant? What makes other people’s lives more meaningful and less worthy of sacrifice than mine?”
Excerpt from www.aljazeera.com
Kyiv, Ukraine – After almost two years of military service on the front lines of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Alina’s husband is “enraged” about the new mobilisation law.
Ukraine’s parliament dopted the law on Thursday after months of debates and almost 4,300 revisions.
Alina said her husband, who requested anonymity, and brothers-in-arms are dumbfounded by the scrapping of service limits. Earlier versions of the law had envisaged demobilisation after 36 months of service.
Without the limits – and with the failure of last year’s counteroffensive and months-long delays of Western military aid – they realise that their service may only end with their disability or death.