Mobilisation in Ukraine 2026: Call-Up, Summonses, Deferral • DSA GROUP

Mobilisation affects every person liable for military service, but the rules on it are spread across several laws and government resolutions. We explain who can be called up during mobilisation, how summonses are served, who is entitled to deferral or reservation, what rights a person has at the territorial recruitment and social support centre (TRC) and what liability applies for violations.

As of 29 September 2026. The provisions are cited from the texts published on zakon.rada.gov.ua: Law No. 2232-XII as amended on 6 August 2026, Law No. 3543-XII as amended on 31 July 2026 and Procedure No. 1487 as amended on 27 June 2026. This is an English summary for information; the Ukrainian texts of the legislation prevail. Mobilisation legislation changes often — before taking important decisions, check the current version or consult a lawyer.

What mobilisation is and who declares it

The Law of Ukraine “On Mobilisation Preparation and Mobilisation” No. 3543-XII (Law No. 3543-XII) defines mobilisation as a set of measures to transfer the economy, public authorities, enterprises and institutions to operating in a special period, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations to wartime organisation and staffing. Mobilisation may be general or partial and may be carried out openly or covertly (Article 1).

General mobilisation is carried out simultaneously throughout Ukraine; partial mobilisation covers certain areas or a certain part of the economy, the armed forces or enterprises (Article 4(2) and (3)). The type, scope, procedure and timeframe of mobilisation are determined by the President of Ukraine in the decision to carry it out (Article 4(5)), and the decree declaring mobilisation is approved by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Article 22(3)). A special period begins when mobilisation (except targeted mobilisation) is declared or martial law is introduced (Article 4(8)).

Who is subject to mobilisation

The Law of Ukraine “On Military Duty and Military Service” No. 2232-XII (Law No. 2232-XII) answers this directly: during mobilisation, reservists and persons liable for military service who are in the reserve and have not been reserved for the period of mobilisation are called up for military service, regardless of where they are registered for military service (Article 39(1)).

It therefore matters which category a person belongs to (Article 1(9) of Law No. 2232-XII):

conscripts — persons who have been registered for military service; citizens under 25 are registered as conscripts (Article 37(1)(1));
persons liable for military service — persons in the reserve;
reservists — persons serving in the military reserve.

The upper limit is the age limit for remaining in the reserve: 60 for privates, sergeants and petty officers and for junior and senior officers, and 65 for senior command officers (Article 28 of Law No. 2232-XII).

Separate rules apply to young people. Persons liable for military service who have completed basic military service are not called up during mobilisation until the age of 25 — only with their consent (Article 23(5) of Law No. 3543-XII). Those who have not served before undergo a course of basic general military training lasting at least one month after being called up (Article 39(1) of Law No. 2232-XII).

During mobilisation (except targeted mobilisation), men aged 18 to 60 must carry their military registration document and present it at the request of an authorised TRC representative or a police officer, and in the border zone, controlled border area and at border crossing points — a representative of the State Border Guard Service (Article 22(6) of Law No. 3543-XII). Persons liable for military service who are not assigned to military units must update their registration data within 60 days of the entry into force of the decree declaring mobilisation — through an administrative service centre, the electronic account or at the TRC (Article 22(3)). How to do this — in the article “Military Registration in Ukraine in 2026”.

Summonses: how they are served and what to do

If you receive a summons, you must appear at the place and time stated in it (Article 22(3) of Law No. 3543-XII). The Procedure for Organising and Maintaining Military Registration, approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1487 of 30 December 2022 (Procedure No. 1487), provides for notification by serving summonses against personal signature and/or by registered mail with a list of contents and acknowledgement of receipt (paragraphs 32 and 79). Notification specifically during mobilisation is governed by a separate Procedure for Conscription approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (Article 22(5) of Law No. 3543-XII).

A summons must state (Article 22(3) of Law No. 3543-XII):

the citizen’s surname, first name, patronymic and date of birth;
the name of the TRC that issued the summons;
the purpose of the summons;
the place, date and time of appearance;
the signature (electronic digital signature) of the official who issued (generated) the summons;
the registration number of the summons;
an explanation of the consequences of failing to appear and of the obligation to report the reasons for not appearing.

When serving a summons, TRC representatives must, at the citizen’s request, state their surnames, first names and patronymics and their positions and present their service IDs (Article 22(3)).

The law also defines valid reasons for not appearing, confirmed by documents: a natural obstacle, the citizen’s illness, hostilities in the relevant territory and their consequences or other circumstances that made it impossible to appear in person, as well as the death of a close relative (Article 22(3)). In that case, you must inform the TRC of the reasons for not appearing no later than three days after the date and time stated in the summons and appear within a period not exceeding seven calendar days.

What to do straight away: check the details of the summons, keep it (and, if it came by post, the envelope with the postal marks), gather documents if you have grounds for deferral and, if necessary, consult a lawyer before the date of appearance.

Military medical board

Citizens must undergo a medical examination to determine their fitness for military service by decision of the military medical board or the district (city) TRC (Article 22(1) of Law No. 3543-XII). The organisation of the medical examination is governed by the Procedure for Conscription, and the specifics of medical examinations during mobilisation are determined by the Ministry of Defence together with the Ministry of Health (Article 22(5)).

If a person came to the TRC on their own initiative and is to be sent for training in connection with being called up, the time of appearance is set within two months of the day they passed the military medical board (Article 22(3)).

The board’s conclusion also affects deferral: persons found temporarily unfit for service by the military medical board for 6 to 12 months are not called up (Article 23(1)(2)). If the board’s decision does not reflect your state of health, it can be challenged — see Challenging military medical board decisions.

Deferral and reservation: who is entitled

Article 23 of Law No. 3543-XII lists who is not subject to conscription during mobilisation. The grounds include, in particular (Article 23(1)):

persons reserved for the period of mobilisation and for wartime (item 1);
persons with disabilities and persons found temporarily unfit for service by the military medical board for 6 to 12 months (item 2);
women and men who support three or more children under 18, except those whose child maintenance arrears exceed the total of three months’ payments (item 3);
parents of a child under 18 if the other parent has died, has been deprived of parental rights or has been declared missing, and in other cases set out in item 4;
those raising a child with a disability under 18 (item 5) or supporting an adult child with a group I or II disability (item 7);
those engaged in permanent care of sick family members who, according to the conclusion of a medical and social expert commission or a medical advisory commission or the decision of an expert team, need permanent care (item 9);
those whose wife (husband) has a group I or II disability (item 11);
parents of a child under 18 whose husband (wife) is doing military service (item 15).

Also not subject to conscription — under the conditions set by law — are students, research and academic staff, close relatives of defenders who were killed or went missing, and other categories (Article 23(3)); persons liable for military service discharged from service upon release from captivity — they may be called up only with their consent (Article 23(6)); and those who served under a one-year contract at the age of 18–25 during martial law — for 12 months after discharge upon expiry of the contract (Article 23(7)).

The grounds are checked and deferral is arranged by TRCs (Article 23(8)). Deferral may also be arranged through the Unified State Register of Conscripts, Persons Liable for Military Service and Reservists on the basis of data from other state registers (Article 23(9)). The procedure for granting and arranging deferral is set by the Procedure for Conscription (Article 22(5)). More details — on the page Deferral from mobilisation.

Reservation. Persons liable for military service who work or serve in public authorities, local self-government bodies, law enforcement agencies and courts (within the limits set by law), at enterprises that have been assigned mobilisation tasks, and at enterprises that are critically important for the needs of the Armed Forces, the economy and the population during a special period are subject to reservation (Article 25(1) of Law No. 3543-XII). Reservation is carried out in the manner established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (Article 23(1)(1)), and reserved persons are not called up during mobilisation (Article 39(1) of Law No. 2232-XII). Support for employers — Reservation of employees liable for military service.

Your rights at the TRC

Several safeguards are written directly into the law:

TRC representatives serving a summons must, at your request, state their surname, first name, patronymic and position and present their service ID (Article 22(3) of Law No. 3543-XII);
the summons must contain all the required details, including the purpose of the summons, its registration number and an explanation of the consequences of not appearing (ibid.);
when checking documents, the authorised TRC representative or police officer makes a photo and video record (Article 22(6));
the law assigns administrative detention and escorting to the TRC to the police: the head of the TRC applies to the police in the cases set out in Article 27(1) of Law No. 3543-XII.

In practice: stay calm, record the circumstances (time, place, surnames and positions), do not sign documents whose content you do not understand, and contact a lawyer at the first opportunity.

Liability for breaching the mobilisation rules

Administrative liability. Article 210¹ of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences (CUAO), “Violation of the legislation on defence, mobilisation preparation and mobilisation”, provides for fines in tax-free minimum incomes of citizens (TFMI):

for citizens — 300 to 500 TFMI; repeated within a year — 500 to 700; during a special period — 1,000 to 1,500 TFMI;
for officials of state authorities, local self-government bodies, legal entities and public associations — 1,000 to 1,500, 1,500 to 2,000 and 2,000 to 3,500 TFMI respectively.

An important caveat: Articles 210 and 210¹ CUAO do not apply where the holder of the Register can obtain the person’s personal data through electronic interaction with other state registers and databases (note to Article 210 CUAO).

Enforcement measures. If, during mobilisation, a citizen has not fulfilled the obligations under Article 22(1) and (3) of Law No. 3543-XII and has committed an offence under Article 210¹ CUAO, the head of the TRC applies to the police for administrative detention and escorting. If the police inform the TRC in writing that this is impossible, the TRC sends the citizen, within five days, a registered letter demanding that the obligation be fulfilled (Article 27(1)). The day of service of the demand is also deemed to be, among other things, the day of the postal mark recording a refusal to accept it or the impossibility of delivering it at the address the person reported to the TRC or at the registered address (Article 27(3)). If the demand is not complied with within 10 calendar days of service, the TRC applies to a court for a temporary restriction of the right to drive a vehicle — until the demand is complied with or withdrawn (Article 27(4)). The demand is deemed withdrawn if mobilisation is terminated or its term ends (Article 27(6)).

Criminal liability. Citizens who evade, in particular, military registration and conscription for military service during mobilisation are criminally liable (paragraph 4 of the Rules of Military Registration — Annex 2 to Procedure No. 1487); the offences and penalties are defined by the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

How to challenge the TRC’s actions

Decisions, actions or inaction of a TRC — in particular a refusal to grant deferral, a summons served in breach of the rules or a ruling imposing a fine — can be challenged. You usually start by gathering evidence (copies of documents, photos, videos, witness statements) and making a written complaint; the next step is a claim to an administrative court. Time limits are short: the general time limit for applying to an administrative court is six months from the day the person learned or should have learned of the violation of their rights (Article 122(2) of the Code of Administrative Procedure of Ukraine). A claim challenging a ruling imposing administrative liability, such as a fine, may be filed within ten days of the day the ruling was issued (Article 286(2)); such cases are heard by local general courts acting as administrative courts (Article 286(1)). More details — on the pages Disputes with the territorial recruitment centre and Challenging administrative rulings and fines.

When to contact a lawyer

you have been served a summons, but your grounds for deferral have not yet been formalised;
deferral has been refused or cancelled;
the military medical board’s decision does not reflect your state of health;
a report has been drawn up or a ruling issued imposing a fine under Article 210¹ CUAO;
you have received a TRC demand or a court claim to restrict your right to drive a vehicle;
an employer needs to reserve employees.

DSA GROUP lawyers assist with military law matters: deferral, reservation, disputes with the TRC, challenging military medical board decisions and sorting out military registration from abroad. Submit a request and a lawyer will contact you.

Frequently asked questions

Who is not subject to mobilisation?

Reserved persons liable for military service and the persons listed in Article 23 of Law No. 3543-XII: in particular, persons with disabilities, those found temporarily unfit by the military medical board, those supporting three or more children under 18, those caring for sick family members and — under certain conditions — students and researchers. The upper limit is the age limit for the reserve: 60, and 65 for senior command officers (Article 28 of Law No. 2232-XII).

How do I get a deferral?

The grounds are checked and deferral is arranged by TRCs (Article 23(8) of Law No. 3543-XII); some deferrals are arranged through the Register on the basis of data from other state registers (Article 23(9)). The procedure for submitting documents is set by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. A lawyer can help you identify the ground and gather the documents.

What should I do if I have been served a summons?

Appear at the place and time stated in it (Article 22(3) of Law No. 3543-XII). If you have a valid reason, inform the TRC no later than three days and appear within seven calendar days. Check the details of the summons and, if necessary, consult a lawyer before the date of appearance.

Can a military medical board decision be challenged?

Yes: the options are a repeat examination, a complaint to a higher military medical board or a court claim. Which one suits your situation is explained on the page Challenging military medical board decisions.