In der Ukraine bestehe ein dringender Bedarf an einer tiefgreifenden Reform des TCC und des Mobilisierungssystems, sagte die Parlamentsabgeordnete Solomiya Bobrovska in einem Interview mit „Telegraf“. Ihrer Meinung nach sollten energische Methoden einem systematischeren und faireren Ansatz weichen

**Translation:**

**Punishing everyone indiscriminately is not an option**

**— Ms. Solomiya, your colleagues on the committee say that draft bills already exist, proposing to equate violators of military registration and AWOL with those who do not pay alimony, and accordingly restrict their rights. Would you vote for this?**

— First, there is currently no consensus on this issue. Second, this bill is not being considered yet. Why? Because the Ministry of Defense and the new team are currently forming their position.

I want to remind you that, unfortunately, parliament adopted a law introducing a stricter approach and increased criminalization for AWOL. We raised the penalty from 8 to 10 years. We effectively gave them a longer term than for murderers or terrorists. And my point is: only „the stick“ does not work. There must be logic, categorization, and gradation of people: why they went AWOL, in what condition, how many years they have served. It has to be a comprehensive story.

The Ministry of Defense is now working on this data: who is not registered, why they are not registered, how many people are „in the shadows,“ why people do not come to update their data. How many AWOL problems are related to transfers between units, do they correlate? And they do correlate. Which brigades have more effective combat readiness, what are the personnel losses? And from this, punishment should be determined, not just punishing everyone indiscriminately and thinking it will solve the problem. It won’t!

That’s why I don’t even want to enter the discussion about alimony. I am waiting for the new concept from the Ministry of Defense, which will first propose bringing people out of the „shadows,“ and only then — „the stick.“

**— Do you consider it possible to bring people out of the „shadows“? Mykhailo Fedorov said there are about two million such citizens.**

— I believe it is possible. Everyone uses informational, electronic, and financial services and operations. In addition, there must be a review of the history of exemptions.

**— Specifically? What new exemption concept do you envision? For example, your committee colleague Ruslan Horbenko says KPIs should be introduced for exempted employees.**

— I believe it should primarily concern the military-industrial complex and possibly critical enterprises. But „critical“ does not mean shopping centers; it means production facilities. Otherwise, it looks like „economic exemption“: I have a salary, I am a manager, I have so many subordinates — therefore, I exempt them. This is purely economic exemption, which parliament did not approve.

**About TCC reform**

**— Recently, there was a high-profile case in Volyn where unknown individuals blocked a TCC vehicle, resulting in a violent conflict. Can this be addressed legislatively?**

— Legislatively — no. There is already criminal liability for this, meaning the mechanisms are sufficient. But the problem is that these incidents are not decreasing, but increasing. The issue of aggression must be removed, and fairness and the correct approach addressed. When people are dragged forcibly… We agreed with TCC that there would be no more violent mobilization methods. Why does it continue? Aggression breeds aggression — that’s the whole story. People do not trust, do not understand why all men in villages are taken but not elsewhere; why „pumped-up guys“ are in gyms, and ordinary people are taken off the streets. That’s why I believe TCC must be reformed.

**— Specifically? How do you see it?**

— It’s not even about removing TCC from the command of the Ground Forces. Every second person doesn’t even know who TCC reports to. There must be a reform and redistribution of their responsibilities: who sends notifications, who issues summonses, who assembles people. Possibly, this should be done by the National Police with their capabilities. But again, not by violent methods. In Ukraine, these tactics do not work — they only anger and repel people.

**About foreign recruiting**

**— The Minister of Defense talks about foreign recruitment, which is supposed to significantly help with staffing the Armed Forces. What is your view?**

— Recruiting foreigners is not cheap. Bringing someone here costs more than mobilizing a Ukrainian. But the issue is not just money — we will not cover the military and AWOL needs solely through foreign recruitment. It can only be one component. Moreover, I believe we are not using this resource efficiently. We spend resources, starting from provision and medical support — we lack translators to work with them.

We are disbanding international legions. We send them on operations without fully explaining what they are supposed to do. We will gain personnel, but we do not know how to manage this resource to turn it into capital.