Ukraine summons reserve officers
Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak has signed an order summoning reserve officers to military service in 2017. This was announced at a briefing on Tuesday by General-Lieutenant Artur Artemenko, deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
“Today an order was signed by the Defense Minister which determines the procedure for summoning officers to military service in 2017. The order has been sent to the Ministry of Justice and after ratification by the relevant administrative authority, it will come into force. People up to 43 years of age, who have completed a full military training course in the reserve officers’ program and graduated from the reserve officer training department may be called,” said Artemenko, as cited by the website of Ukrainian Espreso.tv.
According to him, the conscripts from among the reserve officers should have tertiary education no lower than a Bachelor’s, and they must also have the first officer’s rank.
Previously the Ukrainian Defense Ministry explained a number of provisions regarding the summoning of officers to military service in 2017, according to which officers who are summoned will be obliged to attend three months of training at the training centers of the Armed Forces, after which they will be appointed first officers in the military divisions which are not participating in the operations in the Donbas.
The period of military service for the officers who are summoned will be 18 months.
Officers of the mentioned category will not be made to join the military operation in the Donbas without their personal consent and the signing of a relevant agreement.