Military registration for young men: what difficulties 17-year-olds may face
23 April 17:15
ANALYSIS FROM 
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law requiring Ukrainian boys turning 17 to register for military service between January 1 and July 31. This is a standard procedure, but now the deadline has been extended – previously, it was possible to register only until March.
There are now two ways to register: the first is through the recruit’s electronic cabinet with online identity verification (this is especially convenient for those outside Ukraine), and the second is to come to the CCC in person and fill out the relevant documents. These include medical certificates for health assessment, copies of identity documents, and photographs.
However, if a guy did not have time to go through electronic identification through the Reserve app, and the system did not issue a military registration document, he will still have to come to the CCC in person.
Moreover, if the guys fail to register for military service in time, they will not only have to go to the MCC in person to do so, but also pay a fine of 17 thousand hryvnias. This was previously emphasized by Fedir Venislavsky, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence.
“If the fact of an administrative offense is established and there are no circumstances that exclude administrative liability, such a person may be brought to administrative responsibility,” Venislavsky said.
I investigated whether the boys would really have to pay a fine.
Fines for 17-year-olds
Lawyer Igor Feshchenko explained the nuances of the legislation on registering 17-year-old boys for military service and dispelled common myths about possible fines.
According to the updated law, young men who turn 17 this year have until July 31 to register for military service. This can be done in two ways: through the conscript’s electronic office using electronic identification or by personally appearing at the military registration and enlistment offices.
“Yes, indeed, young men who turn 17 in the year of military registration must register for military service by July 31 by passing electronic identification through the conscript’s electronic cabinet or by personal appearance at the Military Commissariat and JV,” explained lawyer Ihor Feshchenko.
The lawyer argues that the automatic imposition of a fine of 17 thousand hryvnias is legally unjustified, as 17-year-old boys are not yet legally conscripts.
“Until a boy is registered for military service, he is in a completely different legal status – a pre-conscript. And therefore, he is not a subject of an administrative offense under Article 210 of the Code of Administrative Offenses,” Feshchenko said.
The lawyer also draws attention to another nuance – the legislation on defense and mobilization does not provide for a direct obligation of a person to register for military service.
“Article 210-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses allows for prosecution for violation of mobilization legislation, but no provision provides for the obligation of a 17-year-old boy to register. That is, formally, he has nothing to violate,” explains Feshchenko.
When liability is still possible
The only situation when liability can be assumed is when a person ignores a summons sent by the military registration and enlistment office.
“If a conscript is sent a summons to report for military registration and fails to appear, then there is already a basis for bringing him to justice under Article 210-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses and Article 22 of the Law of Ukraine “On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization,” Feshchenko notes.
Thus, despite the legal requirements for 17-year-olds to be registered for military service, automatic fines for missed deadlines are legally questionable. Only in case of receiving a summons and ignoring it is it possible to bring them to justice.
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