The head of the inter-factional deputy association ‘Smart Politics’, former speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Dmytro Razumkov (independent) opposes the initiative to revoke the right to deferment from mobilisation for all men over 25 who enrol in higher, pre-higher and vocational educational institutions.
“They say that we have a total shortage of people on the front lines, so they decided to take away the deferral for those who are studying at the age of 25+. Ask yourself how people who are not really studying got in there. Answer the question: who took the money? The next question is: why don’t you expel them if they are poor students? Why are you taking away this deferral from everyone: those who are studying, those who are getting an education, those who will work for the good of our state after receiving their diplomas?” Razumkov said at a session of the Verkhovna Rada on Wednesday.
In his opinion, such a decision could lead to an outflow of these people abroad.
As reported earlier, the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science and Innovation, Serhiy Babak, said that parliament could deprive men over 25 who enrol in higher, pre-higher and vocational education institutions of the right to defer mobilisation. Such a bill is currently being prepared.
At the end of 2025, Oleg Sharov, Director General of the Directorate of Higher Education and Adult Education of the Ministry of Education and Science, stated that one of the challenges of the 2025 admission campaign was the creation of unfriendly conditions for those who want to use admission to obtain a deferral from mobilisation.
The Ministry of Education also reported that the number of male applicants over the age of 25 at all levels of education in 2025 had more than halved compared to 2024. According to the materials published by the committee, in 2021, there were 1,196 male applicants over the age of 25 at all levels of education (vocational, specialised higher education, bachelor’s, master’s, postgraduate); in 2022, there were 17,614; in 2023 – 44,042 (of which 19,700 are bachelor’s degrees and 16,400 are postgraduate degrees); in 2024, there will be 112,749 people (of which 7,300 will be in vocational education, 55,600 in specialised higher education, 16,700 in bachelor’s programmes, 26,100 in master’s programmes, and 7,000 in postgraduate programmes); in 2025 – 53,517 people (of which 5,200 will have vocational education, 24,800 will have specialised higher education, 12,200 will have bachelor’s degrees, 9,100 will have master’s degrees, and 2,200 will have postgraduate degrees).
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has dismissed Chairman of the Parliament Dmytro Razumkov.
The relevant decision was supported by 284 MPs at the Thursday plenary session.
In particular, some 215 votes in support of this decision were given by the Servant of the People faction, while 20 ones by the Batkivschyna faction, six votes by Holos, the For the Future and Dovira factions gave 19 and 18 votes, respectively, six votes from non-factional MPs […]. The European Solidarity and Opposition Platform – For Life factions did not give a single vote for Razumkov’s resignation.
However, the Opposition Platform – For Life and European Solidarity factions gave 23 and 27 votes, respectively, against such a decision. Seven MPs from the Servant of the People faction, eight MPs from the Holos faction, one MP from the Batkivschyna faction and eight MPs from non-factional ones voted against.
From May to November 2019, Razumkov headed the Servant of the People political party, the first number on the list of which was in the early parliamentary elections in 2019. He held the post of the Ukrainian parliament’s chairman from August 29, 2019.
As reported, on September 30, head of the Servant of the People faction David Arakhamia sent a letter on behalf of the deputy faction to recall Razumkov from the post of chairman.
Head of the parliamentary faction “Servant of the People” David Arakhamia has requested signature lists to remove Dmytro Razumkov from the post of chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the speaker himself said.
“As expected, my colleagues came for signature lists to recall me from the post of chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The corresponding proposal was submitted by chairman of the Servant of the People faction David Arakhamia. I immediately copied a document for the Verkhovna Rada Administration. As I promised, I will not hesitate with the process. Today, colleagues will receive signature lists. I wish them Productive Work in Truskavets!” Razumkov wrote on his Facebook page.
He attached a photocopy of the corresponding appeal of Arakhamia to his post on Facebook. It notes that the Chairman of the Rada may be recalled from office in accordance with Article 76 of the Rules of Procedure, in particular, due to his unsatisfactory work or due to other circumstances that exclude the possibility of performing his official duties.
“In accordance with the first part of Article 76 of the Law of Ukraine On the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada may be recalled from office by the Verkhovna Rada at any time at his request, or due to his unsatisfactory work in this position, including in the case of suspension from holding plenary sessions three or more times during one regular session of the Verkhovna Rada, or for other reasons that make it impossible for him to perform his duties. The early termination of parliamentary powers by the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada results in the termination of his powers as chairman of the Verkhovna Rada,” the text of the appeal says.
Proposals to recall the speaker may be submitted to parliament by at least one third of the MPs from the constitutional composition of the Rada with their signatures.
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Dmytro Razumkov signed a law on preventing and countering anti-Semitism in Ukraine.
As noted in the card of the relevant bill No. 5109, the speaker signed it on September 29 and handed it over to President Volodymyr Zelensky for signature.
The bill defines anti-Semitism, prohibits anti-Semitism and its manifestations, and provides for liability for violation of anti-Semitism legislation.
According to the document, manifestations of anti-Semitism are, in particular, the call, concealment or justification of killing or harming persons of Jewish origin, giving false information, hateful statements about them, denying the fact of the persecution and mass extermination of Jews during the Second World War (Holocaust), making, distribution of any materials containing anti-Semitic statements, as well as public use of materials, symbols and images of anti-Semitic content.
At the same time, the law includes deliberate damage, destruction or desecration of buildings, other structures belonging to persons of Jewish origin, Jewish communities and public Jewish organizations, as well as religious or religious buildings (houses), burial places of persons of Jewish origin, monuments, as and the public use of materials, symbols and images of anti-Semitic content.
At the same time, the law includes deliberate damage, destruction or desecration of buildings, other structures belonging to persons of Jewish origin, Jewish communities and public Jewish organizations, as well as religious or religious buildings (houses), burial places of persons of Jewish origin, monuments, memorial signs dedicated to Jews, based on anti-Semitism.
Persons guilty of violating the norms of this draft law will incur civil, administrative and criminal liability in accordance with the law, as well as compensation for material damage and moral harm caused as a result of anti-Semitism, its manifestations, will be carried out in the manner determined by the legislation of Ukraine.
This law will come into force the next day after its publication in the parliamentary newspaper Holos Ukrainy (Voice of Ukraine).
As reported, on September 22, the Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 5109 at the second reading and in general.
Parliamentarian from the Servant of the People Party Dmytro Razumkov has been elected chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of the 9th convocation.
Some 382 deputies voted for him at a plenary meeting of the first session of the newly elected parliament on Thursday, an Interfax-Ukraine agency correspondent reported.
The European Solidarity faction voted against – 26 deputies.
The Servant of the People Party will propose Chairman of the party Dmytro Razumkov as a candidate to the post of Chairman of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada.
“Today, the party will offer me as a candidate for the post of chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,” Razumkov said in Truskavets on Saturday, answering a question from Interfax-Ukraine.
