Draft law on private military companies given green light by Ukraine’s defense ministry
Source: Ukraine’s government website
On Monday, Ukraine’s defense ministry has thrown its weight behind a proposed bill to regulate private military companies. The draft law, revealed on the government’s website, aims to establish clear guidelines for what it calls ‘international defense companies” that provide defense services abroad. The policy though got some ‘remarks’ from the Ukrainian military chiefs.
The proposed legislation seeks to create a new government agency, the State Service of Ukraine for International Defense Companies. The agency work will include overseeing the activities of such companies, registering defense contracts, and keeping tabs on their military equipment and personnel. It will report directly to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
Under the proposed law, private military companies will only be allowed to provide defense services outside of Ukraine. It also stipulates that the founders of these companies can be led by Ukrainian residents, either individuals or entities, who can recruit “Ukrainian citizens, foreigners, or stateless individuals with military experience”, provided they are at least 21 years old.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
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