The Donetsk Regional Territorial Centre for Recruitment and Social Support has published a list of eight categories of persons liable for military service who, under certain circumstances, are not entitled to a deferral from mobilisation on the grounds previously available. These include certain students, those in arrears with maintenance payments, carers and men deemed fit for service following a re-examination by the Medical Commission. The decision in each case depends on the legal grounds and supporting documentation.
Briefly about the main points
- The list set out in the Tax Code covers eight specific grounds for refusing a deferral.
- Part-time or evening study does not entitle students to a deferral.
- Parents of three children who are in arrears with maintenance payments are not entitled to a deferral on these grounds.
- The «partially fit» status has been revoked; a new medical assessment is required.
- Half-siblings of fallen defenders are entitled to a deferral.
Who is covered by the TCC list?
The clarification does not refer to a general abolition of deferrals. The Donetsk Regional Military Registration and Enlistment Office has identified situations in which a certain category of persons liable for military service does not meet the conditions laid down by law for obtaining or retaining such a right.
The list includes students and postgraduate students enrolled on part-time or evening courses, as well as people pursuing a second or third degree without progressively advancing their level of education. Parents of three or more minor children are also ineligible for deferrals if they are in arrears with child maintenance payments.
Separately TCC drew attention to individuals who care for a husband or wife with a Group III disability, or a person with a Group I or II disability, but who do not meet all the legal requirements. Relevant factors include the degree of kinship, the established need for constant care, other family members who are obliged to provide care, and supporting documentation.
Those whose other parent is not deceased, missing, deprived of parental rights or serving a prison sentence cannot claim single-parent status. Employees of enterprises and organisations under the Ministry of Defence require a confirmed booking or another specific legal basis to qualify for deferral.
Who is not eligible for a deferral:
- Part-time and evening students and postgraduate students.
- Parents of three or more children who are in arrears with child maintenance payments.
- Care workers who do not meet the legal requirements.
- People who, without good reason, consider themselves to be single parents.
- Employees of Ministry of Defence enterprises and organisations do not need to book in advance.
- Individuals following the revocation of their «limited fitness» status.
- Men deemed fit for service following a re-examination by the Medical Commission.
Status following a medical assessment and disability
The «limited fitness» status has been abolished, so it no longer constitutes grounds for deferment in its own right. Conscripts with this preliminary assessment must undergo military medical board and get a new one.
The list also includes men who, following a re-examination by the Medical Commission, were deemed fit for military service. At the same time, a re-examination or a new decision by the commission does not invalidate a duly confirmed disability: persons with disabilities in groups I–III retain the grounds for deferment provided for by law.
Deferral for non-blood relatives of defenders
Those liable for military service are entitled to a deferment if their full or half-brother or half-sister has been killed or gone missing whilst taking part in combat operations and defending Ukraine.
Siblings who share a mother or a father with a member of the armed forces are considered half-siblings. This clarification was provided for in Law No. 3916-IX, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on 21 August 2024. The provision is already in force, and the TCC’s clarification serves as a reminder of its application.
How to check your eligibility and submit an application
The precise wording of Article 23 of the Law «On Mobilisation Preparation and Mobilisation» and the documents confirming an individual’s circumstances are decisive. Belonging to a broadly defined category without verification of all the conditions does not guarantee either the granting or the loss of a deferment.
If the supporting documents have been digitised, the application can be submitted via the «Rezerv+» app. In other cases, documents are accepted by the Centre for Administrative Services, and are verified by the relevant authorities. A post by the Tax and Customs Service on social media does not automatically cancel a deferral that has already been granted — decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
UPDATE: The CPD has denied the report and urged the public to regard it as false.
