Who will return home first during demobilisation: mobilized personnel or contract soldiers

Lack of a unified discharge standard

There is currently no universal rule in Ukraine that guarantees the automatic return of military personnel home after a certain number of years of service. As emphasised by the Zhytomyr Territorial Centre for Recruitment and Social Support, the discharge timelines for all categories of military personnel will depend solely on a future decision by the President of Ukraine.

Since active hostilities are ongoing in the country, a general demobilisation has not been declared. For citizens called up under mobilisation, no final term of service has been established. They are obliged to remain in the army until another legal ground for discharge arises or until the head of state signs an official decree on demobilisation.

Status of contract soldiers under the Cabinet of Ministers resolution

The situation regarding military personnel who voluntarily switched to new motivational contracts has its own specifics, enshrined in regulatory acts. According to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 768 dated 12 June 2026, this category of defenders will also be entitled to discharge in the event of a general demobilisation being declared.

The state legally guarantees that such contract soldiers will not be forced to wait for the expiration of their new contract. If a serviceman does not express a personal desire to continue serving, they will be able to legally return home in the event of a demobilisation declaration.

Determining priorities

To date, there is no precise answer to the question of who exactly will leave their units first. The process and priorities will be determined solely by the text of the future demobilisation decree.

It is in this document that the authorities will specify the exact timelines and individual categories of military personnel who will have the first right to discharge. Until this decision is made, the process is regulated by the provisions of the Law of Ukraine "On Military Duty and Military Service".