Service members under 18–25 contract will receive one-year deferment after service – Fedorov
Service members aged 18 to 25 who signed a one-year contract with the Defense Forces and were discharged after completing it are guaranteed a deferment from call-up.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said this, Censor.NET reports.
According to him, the Defense Ministry team, together with the Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, finalized the relevant resolution, and the provision has now been fully implemented.
"Service members aged 18 to 25 who signed a one-year contract with the Defense Forces and were discharged after completing it are guaranteed a deferment from call-up. The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the mechanism for processing it. It is now a fully functioning instrument that works in practice," the minister said.
The deferment is valid for 12 months after discharge. During this period, call-up is possible only with the service member’s consent.
"This decision lays the groundwork for a modern professional army, where service is a conscious choice," Fedorov stressed.
- As reported earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law establishing a 12-month deferment from mobilization for citizens aged 18 to 25 who, during martial law, signed a one-year contract and were discharged from military service after completing it.
More about the "Contract 18-24" program
- The "Contract 18-24" program for young volunteers was launched in February 2025.
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The terms include one million hryvnias, an interest-free mortgage, and a social benefits package. The contract provides for combat roles only, including rifleman, grenadier, and reconnaissance soldier. Training will last more than 80 days. The money can also be received by men who are serving in the military and are under 25.
- On June 27, it was reported that the government approved a draft law providing for a one-year mobilization deferment for volunteers who completed service under this contract.
