Who Is Subject to Military Service and Who Is Not in Ukraine

A person liable for military service is a person who is in the reserve and on the relevant military register. As a general rule, a man enters this category after the age of 25, but certain persons may acquire this status earlier. A conscript, reservist, and servicemember are different legal categories, while deferment, reservation, or disability by themselves do not terminate the status of a person liable for military service.

Who is a person liable for military service?

What the status of a person liable for military service means

According to the Law of Ukraine “On Military Duty and Military Service”, persons liable for military service are persons who are in the reserve for staffing the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations during a special period, as well as for performing work to support state defense. The determining factor is not only age, but also whether the person belongs to the reserve and their military registration category.

Being in the reserve means that the person is not currently serving, but has registration characteristics and, under the conditions established by law, may be involved in fulfilling military duty.

The information is stored in the “Oberih” register. The person follows the rules of registration and may potentially be mobilized, but fitness, age, deferment, reservation, and other restrictions are checked separately.

Who is considered a person liable for military service in Ukraine?

Men aged 25 to 60

The main category consists of men who have reached the age of 25, are in the reserve, and have not reached the maximum age. For most ranks, it is 60 years, while for senior officers it may be 65 years. Therefore, age must be assessed together with military rank and the fact of enrollment in the reserve.

Who may be liable for military service before the age of 25?

Not every man under 25 is a conscript. If a person has already been enrolled in the reserve and registered as a person liable for military service on a legal basis, they may have this status even before reaching the age of 25.

This category may include persons discharged from service into the reserve, persons with an officer or certain special rank, and citizens registered on such grounds under Article 37. The mere fact of passing a MMC or having a military registration document does not determine the category.

The Supreme Court emphasized that the age limit of 25 applies to conscripts, not to persons who are already in the reserve. Special conscription rules apply to certain persons liable for military service under the age of 25.

Former servicemembers enrolled in the reserve

After discharge from service, a person loses the status of servicemember and is usually enrolled in the reserve, unless there are grounds for exclusion. They may be registered as a person liable for military service or enrolled in the operational reserve, so the current category must be checked in the documents.

Women liable for military service

Women fit by age and health condition who have a medical or pharmaceutical specialty are subject to registration as persons liable for military service. Women with another profession related to a military registration specialty register voluntarily.

After registration, a woman acquires obligations to update data and comply with military registration rules. At the same time, registration does not mean automatic mobilization. The current version of the law provides for a voluntary procedure for conscription of such women in wartime or their involvement in work to support defense.

Who is not a person liable for military service?

Conscripts

A conscript is a person registered specifically as a conscript. Usually, this is a man under 25 who has not been enrolled in the reserve and has not acquired another status. A conscript is not a person liable for military service because they are not in the reserve.

The category cannot be determined by age alone: a man under 25 may already be in the reserve, and the register entry may sometimes be updated with a delay.

Servicemembers

After conscription or acceptance into service, a person becomes a servicemember. They are removed from the relevant registration at the TCC, and their information is maintained by the military unit.

Therefore, the category “not liable for military service” or the registration type “removed” may be displayed. If a person in Reserve+ is still shown as liable for military service, the data may need correction.

Persons excluded from military registration due to health condition

A person recognized by the MMC as unfit and excluded from registration is not liable for military service. Temporary unfitness, disability, or fitness only for certain types of service do not mean automatic exclusion.

Persons who have reached the maximum age for being in the reserve

After reaching the maximum age, a citizen is subject to exclusion from registration. Usually, this is 60 years, and for senior officers — 65. After exclusion, the person is no longer liable for military service.

Persons who have terminated Ukrainian citizenship

Termination of Ukrainian citizenship is a ground for exclusion from registration. Foreigners and stateless persons may perform military service only voluntarily under contract in cases provided by law.

Conscript, person liable for military service, reservist, and servicemember: what is the difference?

To avoid confusing these legal categories, let us compare them by three main features: what each status means, whether the person is in the reserve, and whether they are performing military service.

Status	What it means	Is in the reserve	Is performing service
Conscript	Registered as a conscript and not yet enrolled in the reserve	No	No
Person liable for military service	In the reserve for staffing defense forces and performing work to support defense	Yes	No
Reservist	Serves in the military reserve and is intended for staffing military formations	Belongs to a separate reserve category	Serves in the military reserve, but not in active military service
Servicemember	Performs military service by conscription, assignment, or contract	No, during service	Yes

These are different legal states, so the category names cannot be used as synonyms.

At what age does a person become liable for military service?

What happens after reaching the age of 25?

After reaching the age of 25, a man is removed from conscript registration and registered as a person liable for military service. It is not necessary to visit the TCC for this, but due to possible delays, it is worth generating a new electronic document and checking the category.

When can the status of a person liable for military service arise earlier?

The status may arise earlier due to discharge from service into the reserve, obtaining an officer or relevant special rank, or another legal ground. Therefore, not only age matters, but also the category and ground of registration.

How a person acquires the status of a person liable for military service

Reaching the relevant age

After 25, there is not a new registration for military registration in general, but a change of its category. Men aged 25 to 60 who were previously not registered without legal grounds are also subject to registration. The absence of a paper document does not cancel this obligation.

Discharge from military service into the reserve

After discharge from military service, a citizen is enrolled in the reserve unless the law provides for another consequence. If they are not enrolled in the military operational reserve and there are no grounds for exclusion, they are registered as a person liable for military service. Being under 25 years old in itself does not prevent this.

Obtaining the relevant military rank or status

Persons who received an officer rank after reserve officer training are registered, including before the age of 25. The basis may also be a special rank or discharge from service in the military reserve. The change must be entered into the register.

Other cases provided by law

Other grounds may include completion of alternative service, acquisition of citizenship, arrival at a new place of residence, and statutory exemption from basic military service. The current version of the law and the register entry are important.

What it means to be on military registration

Military registration means maintaining a person’s data defined by law. It is divided into registration of conscripts, persons liable for military service, and reservists.

Thus, “being registered” does not always mean “being liable for military service”: the category must be checked. After service begins, a servicemember is removed from the relevant registration at the TCC.

Its purpose is to have up-to-date information on the composition of human mobilization resources and to ensure staffing of military formations in cases provided by law.

How to check whether you are liable for military service

Checking status in Reserve+

In Reserve+, you can generate an electronic military registration document and see the category and type of registration, data on the TCC, rank, military occupational specialty, MMC, deferment, or reservation. It has the same legal force as a paper one.

Data in the “Oberih” register

Reserve+ displays information from “Oberih” and does not create the status. The entry shows the state of the register, but does not replace a decision on registration, removal, or exclusion from registration.

You need to check both the category — conscript, person liable for military service, reservist, or not liable for military service — and the type of registration — registered, removed, or excluded.

Applying to the TCC and SP

If there is no information or it contradicts the documents, you should contact the TCC and SP where the person is or should be registered and provide supporting documents.

What to do if the status is indicated incorrectly

First, you need to update the document in Reserve+. For some errors, the “Correct data online” service is available, including a special request for servicemembers who are still displayed as registered.

If this does not help, you should contact the TCC with supporting documents. Refusal or inaction can be appealed.

What obligations a person liable for military service has

A person liable for military service must comply with the rules of military registration, monitor the relevance of information in the register, and have a properly issued military registration document in paper or electronic form. In cases provided by law, the document together with an identity document must be presented to authorized representatives.

It is also necessary to appear upon a lawful summons from the TCC and SP, undergo the MMC under the relevant referral, and report changes in registration data within the established period. This applies, in particular, to changes in place of residence, marital status, education, place of work, position, and other information entered into military registration.

Does the status of a person liable for military service mean that the person can be mobilized?

When a person liable for military service can be mobilized

The status of a person liable for military service is one of the prerequisites for conscription during mobilization, but it does not mean immediate assignment to service. Age, fitness according to the MMC conclusion, the existence of an approved deferment, reservation, and other legal restrictions are checked separately.

Thus, two persons with the same registration category may have different legal possibilities regarding mobilization. For example, one may be fit and have no deferment, while another may have a valid reservation or a legal ground for deferment.

Deferment from mobilization

Deferment temporarily protects a person liable for military service from conscription on a ground provided by law. It does not transfer the person to another registration category and does not cancel their military registration obligations.

The ground for deferment must be confirmed in the established manner, and information about it must be displayed in the military registration document. Merely having documents without an approved or confirmed deferment may be insufficient.

Reservation of a person liable for military service

A reserved employee remains liable for military service, but is on special military registration and has a deferment for the duration of the reservation. Reservation does not mean exclusion from registration and does not exempt the person from the obligation to keep personal data up to date.

After the reservation expires or is canceled, the possibility of conscription is assessed according to the general rules. Therefore, it is important to check not only the existence of reservation, but also its validity period and display in the electronic document.

When a person stops being liable for military service

Exclusion from military registration due to health condition

The status ends if the person is recognized as unfit for military service and excluded from military registration. The decisive factor is not the diagnosis itself, disability group, or medical certificate, but a proper MMC decision and entry of information about exclusion.

Reaching the maximum age for being in the reserve

After reaching the maximum age, the person is subject to exclusion from military registration. If the data is correct, the procedure is carried out automatically, but it is worth checking whether the type and category of registration in the electronic document have been updated.

Beginning military service

With the beginning of military service, the person acquires the status of servicemember. They are removed from registration as a person liable for military service at the TCC, and after discharge from service they may be enrolled in the reserve again or excluded from registration, depending on the grounds for discharge.

Other grounds provided by law

Other grounds include termination of Ukrainian citizenship, death or declaration of a person as deceased, as well as certain special cases directly defined by part six of Article 37 of the Law. The list should be applied according to the current version, since it has changed.

Removed and excluded from military registration: what is the difference?

Removal from military registration usually does not permanently terminate a person’s belonging to the relevant category. It may be related to transfer to another body or registration category, change of place of registration, conscription for military service, enrollment in the operational reserve, or another circumstance. After such ground ceases, the person may be subject to re-registration.

Exclusion means termination of military registration on a ground defined by law — for example, due to unfitness for military service, reaching the maximum age, or termination of citizenship. Therefore, the marks “removed” and “excluded” have different legal consequences and are not synonyms.

Frequently asked questions

Who is a person liable for military service in simple terms?

This is a person who is not performing military service but is in the reserve and registered as liable for military service.

Who is not liable for military service?

These are conscripts, reservists, current servicemembers, and persons properly excluded from military registration.

Is a man under 25 liable for military service?

Usually, he is a conscript. However, if a man has already been enrolled in the reserve, he may be liable for military service even before the age of 25.

Is a servicemember liable for military service?

No. During service, a person has the status of servicemember, and after discharge they may be enrolled in the reserve.

Which women are liable for military service?

Mandatorily — fit women with medical or pharmaceutical specialties. With other related specialties — voluntarily.

Do deferment or reservation change the status of a person liable for military service?

No. They temporarily affect the possibility of conscription, but do not change the registration category.

Is a person with disability liable for military service?

They may be. Disability does not terminate the status automatically: unfitness for service and exclusion from registration are required.

What does the status “not liable for military service” mean in Reserve+?

In the register, the person is not classified as liable for military service. The type of registration must be checked, and in case of an error, a request for data correction should be submitted.