If you fail “Fundamentals of National Resistance” — you’ll be expelled from university: what students need to know about the new subject

From 1 October a new subject — “Fundamentals of National Resistance” — has been introduced for students of higher education institutions and professional colleges; it is not related to the military department. This is a logical continuation of the school subject “Defense of Ukraine” and a replacement for the planned basic general military training. What the new subject entails and the study requirements are explained in the Briefly about piece.

How the “fundamentals” differ from BGPT (basic general military training)

Basic general military training in universities was provided for by the Law “On the Fundamentals of National Resistance” from 2021 and enshrined in the Law on Strengthening Mobilization from 2024. It was supposed to start on 1 September 2025, but in the conditions of a prolonged war the task proved unfeasible. Primarily because the practical classes — 210 hours — were to take place exclusively in military training centers and on ranges, which are loaded with mobilized personnel and where it is impossible to guarantee safety for young people during wartime. It was also taken into account that after basic training male students would acquire the status of persons liable for military service, which would place them at unequal rights with youth under 25 years.

In the summer of 2025 the chair of the defense committee, Oleksandr Zavitnevych, submitted a draft law to the Verkhovna Rada that, among other things, proposed replacing BGPT with the course “Fundamentals of National Resistance.” The document was finally adopted in March 2026 and came into force in April.

What the basic training provided for:

mandatory for males, except for medical exemptions; for females — optional,

format: 300 hours,

practical classes in military centers with trips to training ranges during summer vacation,

after completing BGPT the student receives a military accounting specialty, undergoes a medical-legal commission (VLC) and takes the oath,

at the territorial recruitment center (TCC) the recruit status (if under 25 years) is changed to the status of a person liable for military service.

What the new subject provides:

the course “Fundamentals of National Resistance” is mandatory for everyone, without separation by sex, for full-time and dual-form bachelor students, students of professional colleges, and for master’s students in medical and veterinary fields. Students whose religious convictions prohibit taking up arms are exempted from shooting exercises, and for medical reasons are exempted from tasks involving physical exertion,

format: 150 hours,

practical classes are held mainly in interactive shooting ranges, simulation classrooms, and at the bases of municipal centers for preparation for national resistance,

after completing the course the student remains a civilian, that is, does not take an oath and is not required to undergo a medical-legal commission (VLC).

Theory and practice across 13 topics

Training in “Fundamentals of National Resistance” begins in the 2-th year. The university or college itself chooses whether the subject is taught over one semester or two and develops its working program based on the standard ministerial one. It is mandatory that of 150 hours 46 be allocated to theory, 64 to practice, and 40 to independent work.

The typical program is divided into 13 main topics, which include:

study of the historical and contemporary experience of national resistance,

international humanitarian law,

psychological preparation methods and stress resilience,

pre-medical care,

military topography and navigation,

methods of information transmission,

weapons of mass destruction,

engineering training and mine safety,

individual and group tactics,

firearms training and handling weapons,

modern military technologies, robotics and UAVs,

survival skills,

ability to effectively perform professional tasks in crisis conditions.

Each topic has several subtopics and involves a fairly large amount of information. In the single section “Military topography, navigation and orientation in the field” a student must learn map symbols, principles for determining coordinates and distances, basics of using geographic information systems for navigation, basic principles of digital cartography, methods of orienting in the field using celestial bodies, a compass, a watch, a topographic map, local objects and using geographic information systems.

After studying the topic “Pre-medical care” — to be able to single-handedly and in pairs evacuate a wounded person in several ways, master the MARCH and PAWS aid algorithms during combat operations, apply tourniquets, check airway patency, and assess previously applied measures to stop bleeding.

All this will have to be mastered thoroughly, because during the course, as with other major subjects, an accumulative points system will operate — for correct answers, practical tasks, modular tests, etc. And after completion there is a differentiated pass/fail with a final grade that will be entered in the diploma. An unsatisfactory result (less than 60 points) will “attach” a student with an academic debt, and if it is not retaken it may result in expulsion from the university.

Tests and simulator exercises

The differentiated pass/fail will consist of theoretical and practical parts. The first is classical computer tests where one must choose one or several correct answers. For example: what composes national resistance (territorial defense, the Armed Forces, the resistance movement, citizen preparation for national resistance).

The second — the practical part — contains mandatory standards. The grade is given for the accuracy and speed of actions on special trainers or in the field. In the “Tactical Medicine” block these may be methods of stopping bleeding or safe evacuation of a wounded person using mannequins. In the “Firearms Training and Weapons” block — shooting in an interactive range, partial disassembly and assembly of weapons. In the “Modern Technologies” block — piloting FPV or Mavic system drones on a simulator or configuring a training radio station.

The final grade for the pass/fail is formed as the arithmetic mean of the points for theory and each practical standard. If a student demonstrates a gross violation of safety rules, for example, points a replica weapon at people unintentionally or as a joke, the pass/fail is not credited.

What will happen after the war

Another point should be noted: one year after the cancellation of martial law a rule comes into force under which men will not be able to enter public service for the first time if they do not have military or equivalent experience.

“This requirement was written when universities planned to introduce basic general military training with the awarding of the military specialty ‘rifleman.’ A parallel form of military training in Armed Forces centers was envisaged for those who do not study at universities but want to become civil servants,” explains lawyer Viktor Naumchuk. “Fundamentals of National Resistance do not train combatants; it is a civilian course to form basic safety skills. Amendments were made to the law, but the future restrictions for men remained.”

After the war, a career in public bodies will be available to men who have completed military service — conscript, mobilization or contract service, been enrolled in the military reserve, graduated from a military department, or served in national security and defense bodies (police, SBU, border service). The restriction does not apply to women, men older than 60 years, and those unfit for military service for health reasons.