Ukraine’s parliament today passed a law increasing fines for people who avoid mobilization as Ukraine’s army faces a severe shortage of soldiers after more than two years of defending against a Russian invasion. Reuters reported that the law will now be signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
For violating the rules regarding registration at the local tax center, instead of the current 3,400 hryvnias (1,984 crowns), there will be a new penalty of 5,100 hryvnias (2,946), while those who commit such an offense repeatedly must count on a fine of up to 25,000. Those who do not obey the summons order, there will be a penalty of up to 25,000 instead of the current 17,000 hryvnias. The average monthly salary in Ukraine is about 19,500 hryvnias (11,375 crowns), writes The Kyiv Independent.
The Suspilne portal reports that 256 members of the Verkhovna Rada supported the law, none were opposed and four abstained.
Last month, Ukraine’s president signed several laws regarding conscription, including lowering the age from 27 to 25. Men between the ages of 18 and 60 are also required to update their personal information at conscription centers so that the military can get a better idea of how many men it might conscript to defend the homeland. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian parliament gave the green light to a norm allowing the mobilization of prisoners convicted of minor crimes.
Immediately after the invasion of Russian troops on February 24, 2022, thousands of Ukrainians enlisted in the army. But after more than two years of war, many men are trying to avoid combat, and those who have been at the front since the invasion began are exhausted.
Military analysts point out that Ukraine needs hundreds of thousands more troops this year to be able to stop the Russian advance, writes Reuters. In recent weeks, the Russian army has been recording successes especially in the Donetsk region in the east of Ukraine, but they are also putting more pressure on the Ukrainian defenders in the north in the Kharkiv region.
Maksym Zhorin, deputy commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade, said, according to Reuters, that “the situation on the front line is now almost the most threatening since the start of the full-scale invasion.” According to him, the Ukrainian army has “lost time, is loitering with mobilization, and the enemy is preparing for a new stage of the advance.”
