Mobilization has no alternative, but transparent system and clear criteria needed – UBC Group president

Fairness of mobilization rules that are identical for everyone, including a clear and transparent booking system, clear criteria, reforming the territorial recruitment centers, as well as legalizing the possibility of "buying out" from mobilization for approximately EUR 20,000-30,000 per year, are key factors for the smooth operation of the mobilization system, Ihor Humenniy, President of UBC Group and Vice President of the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs, has said.

"Mobilization has no alternative. History provides no examples of wars of this scale with million-man armies without mobilization. This is a reality, not a choice. But the key is the fairness of the rules. Without this, the system does not work. What is needed is a clear and transparent booking system, identical rules for everyone, and clear criteria," he wrote on Facebook following his video broadcast on Radio Liberty.

In particular, explaining his position on legalizing the possibility of "buying out" from mobilization, he noted that it already exists now, but in the shadows.

"It is better to do it honestly: like in Turkey (bedelli askerlik ~ EUR 2,000), like in Switzerland (3% of income for 10 years). For Ukraine: approximately EUR 25,000 per year during the war," Humenniy believes, specifying that for Ukraine this could be EUR 20,000-30,000 per year.

In addition, the president of UBC Group believes that the territorial recruitment and social support centers have discredited themselves as a corrupt, inefficient system that does not inspire trust, and therefore need to be reformed.

"It is necessary to disband the enforcement component of the territorial recruitment centers, send the personnel to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, leave only the registration functions, and transfer the notification and escort functions to the internal affairs bodies," Humenniy proposes.

In his opinion, all law enforcement officers must also pass through the front line. "The police, the Security Service of Ukraine, border guards – everyone must undergo rotation through active army units. Military ranks from captain and above should be awarded only to employees with combat experience," he said.

He also remarked that the government and elites should not be outside the system.

"Deputies, officials, former law enforcement officers, pensioners of the system must be involved in mobilization. Otherwise, there will be no trust," Humenniy emphasizes.

He also considers basic military training (BMT) necessary for all men from the age of 18, similar to the models of Israel, Turkey, and Switzerland.

"Mandatory service for 1-2 years: BMT, protection of facilities, borders, order in the rear," Humenniy said.

He summarized that overall, the problem is not mobilization itself, but unfairness, chaos, and distrust in the system, and without fixing the situation, no model will work.

Humenniy also reported on Radio Liberty that about 22% of conscription-age workers of the UBC group of companies are serving in the military (in total, 4,000-5,000 people work at the group’s enterprises depending on the season).

"And for example, six of my personal bodyguards have died," he added.

Humenniy’s opinion on the need to reform the territorial recruitment centers was supported in comments to the post by Oleksandr Derkach, co-owner of the Milk Alliance holding.

"Everything is correct. We can no longer close our eyes to the fact that the ‘virtuous’ state gave mobilization over to the territorial recruitment center officers, allowing them to line their pockets for this," he wrote.

In turn, Nova Poshta co-owner Volodymyr Popereshniuk expressed the view in a comment that it is also necessary to lift the ban on private military companies (PMCs) and implement voluntary recruitment, expressing readiness to finance such PMCs.

To Humenniy’s remark that history knows no cases where wars involving millions of people were conducted exclusively by volunteers, Popereshniuk replied that history also knows no cases where war was waged with drones.

"And who said that a million-man army is needed?" he added.

As reported, a Cabinet of Ministers resolution on changes to the booking rules was published on June 1, including an increase in the average salary at an enterprise to nearly UAH 26,000 from September 1, confirmation of an enterprise’s critical importance status under updated criteria by September 1, as well as a condition to count part-time workers toward the booking quota at only one place of employment.