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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The Christian Corps has prepared a draft law “On International Recruitment to the Defense Forces of Ukraine,” which is intended to create a single state system for bringing in foreign volunteers, reports Lenta.UA.
The Corps notes that the state has set ambitious goals: the Government Action Program provides for 1,000 contracts with foreigners per month, and in the summer a task was set to staff between 30 and 50% of infantry and assault positions with foreigners. In reality, only about 600 contracts are signed per month, even though the waiting lists for some units contain thousands of candidates. The obstacles are a lack of authorized positions, lengthy vetting, and the absence of targeted funding for recruitment.
“People from various countries come to us for whom defending Ukraine is a matter of faith, conscience, and justice. However, months of waiting, a shortage of authorized positions, and lack of funding stand between their willingness to join the ranks and an actual contract. The state has set ambitious targets for bringing in foreigners but has not created a system that would allow achieving them. Our draft law fixes that: everyone who comes to defend Ukraine should be accepted quickly, fairly, and on equal terms with Ukrainian fighters,” says one of the founders of the Christian Corps, commander of Tactical Group 'Revenge' with the call sign 'Dolya'.
The draft law proposes introducing a single electronic registry through which a foreigner could apply remotely in their own language and choose a unit. A decision on admitting a candidate should be made within 10 days, a visa issued within 5 working days, and the contract concluded no later than 21 day after arrival in Ukraine. Foreign volunteers would be counted outside the overall troop strength, and the unit to which the candidates arrive would receive new positions for them within 15 days. Escorting each candidate would be paid at a single rate for all military formations—no less than 300 thousand hryvnias. Private Ukrainian companies, for which international recruitment would become a separate type of activity with a special KVED code, as well as military units that recruit foreigners independently, would be entitled to these funds. At least 40% of this amount would be paid after six months of the volunteer’s service or earlier in case of their wounding or death.
A separate section concerns the rights of foreigners. Before signing a contract the candidate will receive written information in their language about the position, risks, and payments, and the contract itself will be concluded with a translation. Foreign servicemembers will receive the same social guarantees as Ukrainians: currently the law on social protection of servicemembers applies to them only in terms of monetary provision, leave, and medical assistance. A residence permit will remain valid for another 12 months after service, and the right to permission to immigrate will arise already after six months of service during martial law. Charging candidates a fee for recruitment will be prohibited.
“Our task was to create a law that replaces disparate decrees and experiments with a single system of international recruitment suitable for all military formations. This law will turn the thousands of people already ready to come to Ukraine into real reinforcements for our units. Foreign volunteers have already proven their courage in the hardest battles. And fair conditions and state-kept promises will make them the best ambassadors of Ukraine in their countries,” adds one of the founders of the Christian Corps, commander of the 'Brotherhood' battalion of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksii Serediuk.
The draft law is the Christian Corps’ third legislative initiative—after proposals on tax incentives for enterprises that employ veterans (more than 30% on staff) and state financial support for birthrates. The Corps’ legislative activity is a response to an invitation from the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who invited military personnel to codify veterans’ legislation and adopt a Veterans’ Code.
The text of the draft law, explanatory note, and information sheet can be found on the Christian Corps’ official website https://christiancorps.army/.
The Christian Corps is an association of combat units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine that have declared Christian values the foundation of their activity and worldview. Its composition includes the 'Brotherhood' battalion (commander Oleksii Serediuk), special unit 'Stuhna' (commander Dmytro Linko), Tactical Group 'Revenge' (unit commander 'Dolya'), unit 'Tradition and Order' (unit commander Kristian Udarov), active operations unit 'Company of Jesus Christ' (unit commander 'Bravyi'), 'Drone Brotherhood', the unit of 'Belarusian Volunteers' (unit commander 'Yanki'), the 6-th special purpose detachment within 'Timur's Special Unit' and other combat units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. The Corps’ main civilian partner is the Charitable Foundation of the Youth Initiative 'Nadiya'.
Yevhen Medvedev
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