Cabinet approves Defense Ministry bill on reducing mandatory military service

The Defense Ministry’s bill to reduce the duration of mandatory military service from the current 24 months to 18 months was approved at the Cabinet meeting on October 30. The bill will be forwarded to the parliament for debates.

According to the ministry’s substantiation, recent initiatives—such as the Homeland Defender contract service, the certification system, the professional sergeant program, and others—have produced positive results and made voluntary service more attractive.

If adopted by parliament, the shorter service period will take effect starting with the 2025 winter conscription, but it will not apply to those who have begun their service by then.