MOSCOW, December 3. /TASS/. A rally to demand demobilization for the military after 18 months of service was held in downtown Kiev on Saturday, the Gromadskoye media outlet reported.
According to the report, hundreds of protestors, mostly relatives of draftees and servicemen deployed in the combat zone, gathered on the Independence Square in the Ukrainian capital.
Similar events were organized in other Ukrainian cities, including Lvov, Odessa and Sumy.
Ukraine’s Law ‘On Military Duty and Military Service’ does not determine the period of military duty for the draftees mobilized during martial law, so the protesters urge the authorities to solve this problem the soonest possible.
In November, such rallies were held twice in the Ukrainian capital and other cities. A petition suggesting to limit the time of service for servicemen deployed in the combat zone by 18 months, posted on the president’s website, gathered the 25,000 votes, which are necessary for having it considered by the head of the state. A similar bill has already been submitted to the Ukrainian parliament.
In February 2022, Ukraine declared a nationwide military call-up, which has been repeatedly extended since. The country’s authorities have spared no effort to prevent military-age males from dodging military service. Draft notices are handed out in public institutions, on the streets and during public gatherings. In September, Ukraine expanded the list of categories eligible for the military draft and shortened the list of medical contraindications.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky announced in late November that his administration will unveil a new mobilization plan soon.