Parliament removes mention of alternative service from law on social protection of military personnel

The Verkhovna Rada has passed Bill No. 13646 in its second reading on February 25, 2026, removing a provision on alternative (non-military) service from the law on social protection during basic military service. The change was detailed in the comparative table of the document prepared for the second reading.

Illustrative photo. Photo: Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

The bill’s initiator is Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. It was prepared within the Ministry of Defense, specifically following a government directive to review how the law on social protection aligns with the law on military duty.

According to the comparative table reviewed by the relevant committee on February 10, 2026, it was decided ahead of the second reading to remove Part 6 from Article 6 of the Law on Social Protection. This provision concerned the right to replace military duty with alternative (non-military) service if the former contradicted a citizen’s religious beliefs.

The authors of the law justified the decision by stating that the right to alternative service was granted during conscription, which has now been replaced by basic military service.

Screenshot of the bill’s comparative table prepared for the second reading

Legal experts from the Verkhovna Rada’s Research and Editorial Department urged lawmakers, even before the first reading, not to simply remove the mention of alternative service. Instead, they called for measures to ensure that those unable to serve due to religious beliefs could exercise their constitutional right even during the newly introduced basic military service.

Alternative service is provided under Part 4 of Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine.

Furthermore, the department pointed out that removing the mention of alternative service did not align with the bill’s stated objectives, and the explanatory note did not clarify why these specific provisions should be supported.

The document is now awaiting the President’s signature, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The United Nations considers Ukraine’s refusal to provide believers with the option of alternative service to be a violation of international law.

Cover photo: tro.mil.gov.ua