Send reserved individuals to the front, annul all disability certificates, sell deferments: proposals in the Verkhovna Rada on mobilization

People’s Deputy from “Servant of the People” Serhiy Nahornyak said in an interview with the publication “Telegraf“ that in Ukraine approaches to reserving company employees may be reviewed. The reason is a significant understaffing of the brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the insufficient effectiveness of compulsory mobilization.

According to the deputy, there is no final decision from the Ministry of Defense or the government yet on changing the reservation system. At the same time, this topic is already under discussion, because the army needs people, and a significant share of men without reservations avoid contact with the TCC and do not update their data.

Nahornyak explained that at enterprises managers try to reserve as many employees as possible, because this concerns the operation of business, energy, the agricultural sector and other industries. But the Armed Forces of Ukraine have their own need — replenishing units. For this reason the question may arise not only about the percentage of those reserved, but also about the categories of employees allowed to remain at enterprises.

– Literally yesterday I had a conversation with a farmer who has reserved staff at his enterprise. He says: “We cooperate with the TCC. Although my people are reserved, when the TCC come to me, we make arrangements. They say they need at least one person once a quarter. Whether you want it or not — unreserve them, you have to meet your plan,– says Nahornyak.

The deputy also noted that it is easier for the TCC to work with enterprises where employees are registered than to look for men who hide at home. However, he admitted that this situation has two sides, because the same specialists are needed by both the economy and defense.

In Nahornyak’s view, reducing tension around mobilization could be achieved by clearly assigning recruits to the positions they go to serve in. For example, if a person goes as a drone operator, a driver or a mechanic, they should remain in that position, and not end up in a different role after joining the military.

Another high-profile proposal from the deputy concerns disability certificates.

“We must reset absolutely all disability certificates without exception. The only exception should be for people who fought since 2014 and received wounds and disability,” — said Serhiy Nahornyak, speaking about the need to verify documents.

As an alternative for those who will not go to the military, the deputy proposes economic reservation. Under his plan, people could officially pay for a deferral, and these funds would go into a special account and be used for incentive payments to volunteers. This refers, in particular, to possible starter payments for those who voluntarily go to serve. Nahornyak suggested that these could be amounts at the level of $5,000 or $10,000, but there is currently no specific amount for such a payment.

The deputy acknowledges that the idea of a paid deferral may provoke strong public rejection, since it may be perceived as a rule whereby the wealthy do not serve while the poor go to the military. At the same time, he claims that such inequality already effectively exists because of bought certificates and shadow schemes.

So far all the proposals voiced remain not adopted decisions but a political discussion. But the very fact of returning to the topics of reservation, disability and paid deferral shows that the authorities are looking for new instruments to replenish the Armed Forces — and these decisions may become painful for both business and society.

Previously we wrote:

• TCC from the inside: who runs with summonses, who sits in the headquarters, and who simply burned out
• Full price: up to $50,000 for “freedom”: how mobilization turned into a corrupt business
• In the ring — sport, in life — a scheme: a boxing official organized trips for draft dodgers
• Summonses on the phone, automatic checks: is mobilization becoming total?
• In the sports department of the Mykolaiv city council, conscripts were employed for money