Those liable for military service not required to have permits to leave district, regions – General Staff

"Today, a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was held. At the meeting, among other things, an issue that caused a huge public outcry was considered, namely the procedure for granting permission to citizens of Ukraine, who are registered for military service in territorial recruitment and social support centers, to leave the boundaries of their place of residence (place of stay) from the moment of the declaration of mobilization and during wartime," Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny posted on Telegram.

Zaluzhny emphasized that this document from the very beginning was exclusively related to the internal work of territorial recruitment and social support centers and did not create obligations, restrictions on the rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens. "Despite this, the publication of procedure on the Internet caused numerous manipulations, discrepancies, and even illegal actions to prevent the movement of citizens, which became the basis for discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the military-political leadership of the state," Zaluzhny noted.

"Therefore, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in order to prevent further manipulations around this issue, made a decision to revoke the effect of the procedure and send it for revision," the Commander-in-Chief emphasized.

The updated document will be drafted on the basis of amendments to the laws of Ukraine and bylaws that regulate the movement of citizens under martial law. The existing legal framework does not take into account the present-day realities and does not ensure effective mobilization mechanisms.

"As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and a citizen of Ukraine, I call on the Ukrainians to fulfill their constitutional duty to protect the state," Zaluzhny emphasized.

As reported, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published information that during wartime it is prohibited for conscripts, those liable for military service, and reservists to leave their place of residence without the permission of the head of the corresponding territorial recruitment and social support center.

Later, the General Staff added that it is not necessary to obtain permission when moving within the same region.

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