The Rada may consider a bill on the dismissal of military personnel raising children with disabilities

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine may consider bill No. 15057 next week, which provides for the right to be discharged from military service for servicemen raising disabled children under the age of 18.

This was announced by the people’s deputies after a conversation with the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence.

“We agreed to submit the bill for consideration by the committee next week,” the parliamentarians noted.

What the bill proposes

The document provides for amendments to Article 26 of the Law of Ukraine “On Military Duty and Military Service”.

The main change is the exclusion of the norm according to which a serviceman can be discharged from service only in the absence of other persons who are obliged to raise a child.

In fact, the bill proposes to grant the right to be discharged to servicemen raising a disabled child, regardless of whether there is another parent.

Why the changes were necessary

The authors of the bill emphasize that the current version of the law significantly limits the right of servicemen to be released to care for a child with a disability.

Currently, many servicemen cannot use such a reason for release only because the other parent is formally present in the family.

At the same time, the legislation on mobilization already contains a different approach. In particular, Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine “On Mobilization Training and Mobilization” provides for a deferment from conscription for parents raising a child with a disability up to the age of 18, without an additional condition of the absence of the other parent.

According to the authors of the document, this creates inequality between persons already serving in military service and those who are only subject to mobilization.

What problems should the document solve

The drafters of the bill believe that the current norms actually shift the responsibility for caring for a child with a disability mainly to the mother, which contradicts the principle of equality of parental rights and duties.

The proposed changes are intended to:

eliminate the discriminatory condition regarding the mandatory absence of the other parent;
ensure a uniform legal approach to families raising children with disabilities;
harmonize legislation on mobilization and military service;
strengthen social protection for families of military personnel.

If the document is supported by the parliament, the new rules may significantly change the approach to the discharge from service of military personnel raising children with disabilities during martial law.