Ukrainian lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada fear public backlash over an amendment by former speaker Dmytro Razumkov penalising businesses, a military blogger reported.
The legislative measure allows territorial recruitment centres, known as TCCs, to impose fines of 170,000 hryvnias on employers for failing to keep proper records of staff eligible for military service.
Kyrylo Sazonov, a Ukrainian serviceman, blogger and political analyst, disclosed the parliamentary dispute on social media. He stated that the legal manoeuvre by Razumkov came as a total shock to key political figures across the chamber.
Members of parliament on the law enforcement committee, led by chairman Serhii Ionushas, spent nearly an entire week trying to reverse the change quietly, Sazonov said. Officials worried that if the provision takes effect, it could trigger fresh outrage from the business community while opening new avenues for corruption among recruitment officers.
Procedural hurdles to repealing the amendment
Despite their concerns, senior lawmakers have found themselves legally trapped. Sazonov explained that parliament has no procedural mechanism to cancel the provision, as Article 133 of the Verkhovna Rada rules allows reconsideration only if a law contains internal textual contradictions. Anyone attempting to override the amendment outside those strict parameters would face legal liability.
Razumkov, who previously led the parliament before parting ways with the governing coalition, had built a reputation as a vocal critic of broad draft office powers. His decision to sponsor legislation granting recruiters such sweeping financial authority surprised both allies and opponents, earning him a reputation among some colleagues as a newfound hawk on mobilisation.
Frontline soldier support for draft fines
While politicians fretted over the political fallout, frontline soldiers welcomed the stiff financial penalties, Sazonov reported. Combat troops praised the move to hold employers accountable for shielding staff or mismanaging mobilisation registries, noting that fighting units face urgent manpower shortages. Military personnel argued that weakening penalties for reservation violations would undermine national defence efforts.
Sazonov concluded that despite sustained efforts by the parliamentary majority to neuter the legislation, the controversial measure is almost certain to stand, leaving businesses facing strict compliance rules under recruitment office oversight.
