Ukraine urgently needs a comprehensive solution to eliminate systemic errors in military-medical examinations (VVK) and significantly improve the quality of its mobilization resources. Military Ombudsman Olga Reshetilova has identified three critical areas for reforming the conscription process to make it adequate for current challenges.
Motivation and Rotation: A New Social Contract
According to experts, the first and fundamental change must be the transition to forming an army of motivated servicemen. This refers to individuals who clearly understand the purpose of their service and recognize that defending the state is their constitutional duty. Reshetilova emphasized the importance of an honest dialogue between the state and society, which should lead to an updated social contract.
A key element of this strategy is the principle of rotation. The current situation requires replacing servicemen who have been in the ranks for a long period. This is necessary not only to maintain combat readiness but also to give active soldiers the opportunity to catch their breath, recover their health, study, build careers, and spend time with their families.
VVK Reform and the Issue of Order No. 402
The second critical point is the need to reform the military-medical commission (VVK) system. The Ombudsman drew attention to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Order No. 402, which defines the procedure for medical examinations and establishes fitness criteria. According to Reshetilova, this document "sets the health bar very low" for servicemen and has a high degree of subjectivity.
In practice, this leads to recruits with obvious health deficiencies entering training centers, who often require supportive replacement therapy. VVKs do not always detect these problems, creating huge risks both for the soldiers themselves and for the combat readiness of units.
Technological Modernization of Conscription
The third step in reforming is the improvement of the mobilization mechanism itself. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is already working on ensuring that the conscription process occurs differently, providing higher-quality training for new arrivals. As part of these changes, an update to the "Reserve+" service has been announced, with new features to be presented in early June.
Parallel to changes in conscription, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has decided to significantly adjust the exemption (bronirovannya) system. The new rules aim to make the process more transparent and fair. Enterprises have been given a three-month deadline—until September 1—to confirm the criticality of their activities under the updated norms.