Military personnel with children may be less involved in combat missions, duties, and business trips: what guarantees they want to establish

Ukraine plans to regulate the issue of military service during pregnancy, as well as define additional guarantees for servicemen who raise children alone or serve together with the other parent of the child. Currently, the legislation does not contain clear rules regarding such situations, which can put female servicemembers in conditions that pose risks to the health of the mother and child.

Legislation does not define the procedure for service during pregnancy

The Office of the Military Ombudsman has called on the Verkhovna Rada to regulate the issue of service by pregnant servicemembers and military personnel who have children.

As noted by the Office, current legislation does not establish special rules regarding service conditions during pregnancy. Because of this, female servicemembers may be involved in tasks with physical exertion or service in difficult living conditions, which may pose a threat to the health of the woman and child.

The legislation also currently insufficiently considers situations when:

• a servicemember raises a child alone;
• both parents of the child serve in the military simultaneously;
• a female servicemember has a young child.

What changes does draft law No. 13436 provide

In 2025, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading draft law No. 13436, which aims to regulate the consideration of family circumstances of servicemembers and provide them with additional legal guarantees.

The document provides a special procedure for service for certain categories of military personnel.

In particular, for pregnant servicemembers it is proposed to establish:

• a five-day workweek with two days off;
• the possibility of transfer to another unit if performing duties in the current position poses a health risk to the mother;
• restrictions on involvement in combat missions, daily duties, night work, and overtime service.

Such tasks may be performed by pregnant servicemembers only with their consent and taking into account the recommendations of the medical service.

Special guarantees for military personnel with children

The draft law also proposes to establish a special procedure for involvement in service for servicemembers with family circumstances.

This concerns:

• female servicemembers raising children under 3 years old;
• servicemembers who raise children alone;
• military personnel where both parents serve, if the child is under 14 years old.

For these categories, special rules are planned regarding:

• involvement in combat missions;
• performing daily duties;
• being sent on business trips;
• appointment to positions;
• transfers within the service.

The Office of the Military Ombudsman will participate in preparing the draft law

The Office of the Military Ombudsman supported the proposed changes and addressed the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence.

It was also proposed to involve representatives of the Office in reviewing deputies’ amendments and preparing draft law No. 13436 for the second reading.

Updating the legislation should ensure servicemembers the opportunity to perform their duties taking family circumstances into account and guarantee proper protection of the rights of military personnel and their children.

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