Zelensky has signed a law granting military service exemption for half-siblings of fallen soldiers.

The resolution from the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was issued regarding bill 11531, which was supported by the members of parliament in November 2024. With the new law numbered 4063-IX, another group of Ukrainians—non-biological relatives of fallen Ukrainian soldiers—now has the opportunity to resign from military service. Information about the signing was published on the parliament's portal.

According to the portal of the Rada, President Zelensky signed the document on December 31, 2024. The text of the document, which was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on November 20, 2024, amends Article 26 of the law "On Military Duty and Military Service". Specifically, in Article 26, Part 12, an additional word—"non-biological"—was added to paragraph 3 of this part. Thanks to this single amendment, initiated by the 21st deputy, non-biological brothers and sisters of defense forces members who were killed or went missing, as well as those who were posthumously awarded the title of "Hero of Ukraine", are granted the right to resign from military service.

Resignation from Service — When It Will Take Effect

Following the president's resolution, according to Ukrainian legislation, the normative legal act will be published in official government publications within a 15-day period, including "Uryadovyi Kurier" or "Holos Ukrainy." On December 31, a notification about the law signed by the head of state appeared on the "Holos Ukrainy" portal.

Meanwhile, the final provisions of the law signed by the president state that it will come into effect the day after its publication. It is also specifically noted that the Cabinet of Ministers must adopt additional acts for the law to be effectively implemented. The government has 10 days to do this, starting from January 1, as indicated in the text of the document.

It is noteworthy that on November 20, the Rada supported another bill concerning soldiers after Russian captivity—they received a deferment from mobilization. Additionally, some simplifications were introduced for obtaining deferments for relatives of servicemen who are considered missing. MP Oleksiy Honcharenko explained that thanks to this innovation, people will not have to go through legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, at the end of December, another bill appeared on the parliament's portal concerning war and martial law. According to the published text, politicians want to allow Ukrainians under the age of 24, who had previously enrolled in foreign educational institutions, to travel abroad. The deputies explained the reason for their proposal, stating that this way they hope to improve the demographic situation, which is suffering due to youth emigration and the failure to return.