The Verkhovna Rada has passed, in its second reading, a bill on military service in Ukraine for foreigners and stateless persons, allowing them to hold officer positions.
This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak on Telegram.
Bill No. 12023, which amends the procedure for foreigners and stateless persons to serve under contract in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the State Special Transport Service, and the National Guard, was supported by 276 MPs in its second reading.
The law allows foreigners and stateless persons in Ukraine to sign contracts for military service in positions ranging from enlisted personnel to sergeants, senior ranks, and officers.
A Foreigners' Recruitment Center will be established to conduct checks on:
- The legal status of these individuals in Ukraine,
- Whether they have been subject to administrative or criminal charges under Ukrainian law,
- Any connections to intelligence or subversive activities by foreign states against Ukraine,
- And other factors that may prevent them from being accepted for military service under contract.
The explanatory note accompanying the bill states that its development is linked to the need to improve legislation on military service, particularly in granting foreigners and stateless persons the opportunity to serve in officer positions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, and the National Guard.
