The Verkhovna Rada granted a deferment from mobilization for civilians who were in captivity.

On Wednesday, November 20, the Verkhovna Rada approved a bill granting civilians who were in captivity the right to receive a deferment from mobilization. This was reported by Members of Parliament Iryna Herashchenko and Oleksii Honcharenko.

The bill №12104 was supported by 304 parliamentarians. It amends Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine "On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization." According to the document, Ukrainian civilians who were held captive by Russia will have the opportunity to receive a deferment from mobilization. Additionally, this bill simplifies the procedure for granting deferments to those whose close relatives have gone missing.

“Deferment will be provided to the relatives of individuals recognized as missing under special circumstances, as well as to those who have received the status of ‘missing without a trace’ through the court. Relatives will not need to go through complicated court processes; it will be enough to have documents from the Unified Register of Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances or a court decision,” explained MP Oleksii Honcharenko.

The explanatory note to the bill specifies that close relatives include a husband, wife, son, daughter, father, mother, or full/half-brother or sister.

The Verkhovna Rada also supported bill №11531, which will allow servicemen whose half-relatives have died or gone missing during hostilities to be discharged from service. This bill was backed by 308 members of parliament.

It is worth noting that the Verkhovna Rada extended the duration of martial law and general mobilization in Ukraine for another 90 days – from November 10 to February 7, 2025, inclusive.