Fedorov: Partial Demobilization to Start This Autumn, Presidential Decree to Take Priority Over Contracts

Ukraine's Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in an interview with TSN that a partial release of military personnel who have been in the army since 2022 or earlier will start in the autumn of this year. A presidential decree on demobilization will have priority even if a soldier has signed a new contract.

Demobilization Criteria

Fedorov explained that the mechanism will be based on two main criteria: total length of service in the army since 2014 and the number of combat days. For example, soldiers who have served since 2022 and have many combat days may be released by the end of the year. However, not everyone can be released at once because they form the backbone of the army – without them the front would collapse.

"We cannot release everyone who has been fighting since 2022, otherwise the front would collapse. These people are the skeleton of our army. But they should not be hostages of the system. So we are taking this first stage of transformation to give them hope, money, and the prospect of release," Fedorov said.

Coordination and Calculator

The demobilization process will be coordinated by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine based on data on service periods and combat days. A special calculator will be created to allow each service member to determine their specific month of release.

The number and order of soldiers released each month will depend on the battlefield situation and possible enemy mobilization steps. Released soldiers will receive a six-month deferment from re-draft, and each day of direct participation in combat will add one more day to this deferment period.

Priority Over Contracts

Fedorov stressed that if a soldier who has served since 2022 hears about the planned demobilization and decides to sign a 24-month contract but later falls into the release pool, the presidential decree will take precedence and the soldier will be released regardless of the contract.