New legislation separates alternative service from military benefits law
The Ukrainian government has approved a draft law to amend the Law "On Social and Legal Protection of Military Personnel and Their Families," removing provisions related to alternative (non-military) service for individuals whose religious beliefs prevent them from serving in the military.
On May 21, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a draft law concerning conscription and basic military service, as reported by Taras Melnychuk, the government's representative in the Verkhovna Rada.
Specifically, the draft law proposes to exclude provisions from the Law "On Social and Legal Protection of Military Personnel and Their Families" that allow for alternative (non-military) service for individuals whose religious beliefs prevent them from performing military service.
The rationale provided is that matters of alternative service fall outside the scope of this law and, therefore, should not be included in it.
Issues regarding alternative (non-military) service are governed by the Law "On Alternative (Non-Military) Service." However, this law does not provide for the replacement of mobilization service with alternative service, only for conscription, which has effectively been abolished. The new type of military service that replaced conscription—basic military service—is also not mentioned in this law. The first draft for basic military service of citizens aged 18–24 is planned for the fall of 2025.
