Can someone with a liver disease be drafted for military service?

Martial law and general mobilization continue in Ukraine. However, certain categories of citizens are exempt from conscription due to health conditions.

In particular, those with serious liver diseases are not subject to mobilization. "Telegraph" reports on the ailments that disqualify individuals from military service.

According to the Ministry of Defense's order №262 dated April 27, 2024, men deemed unfit for military service include those with:

• alcoholic liver disease;
• toxic liver damage;
• liver failure.

Additionally, the list of liver diseases that exempt individuals from mobilization includes the following conditions with significant functional impairments:

• Chronic hepatitis: inflammatory liver diseases lasting more than six months. These can be viral (hepatitis B, C, D) or autoimmune in nature.
• Fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver. Fibrosis refers to excessive formation of connective tissue in the liver, which over time can lead to cirrhosis — an irreversible replacement of normal liver tissue with scar tissue.

It is important to note that to be exempt from mobilization, a conscript must undergo a medical examination by a military medical commission (MMC). The decision regarding unfitness for military service is based on the assessments of medical professionals who evaluate the severity of the illness and its impact on the individual's overall health.

We remind you that serious cardiovascular diseases can also serve as grounds for exemption or deferral from mobilization. These include:

• Class II-B or III heart failure due to non-coronary heart diseases;
• Class II-B or III heart failure due to ischemic heart disease;
• Stage III hypertension.

Men who have suffered a heart attack or stroke are also entitled to a deferral. Furthermore, exemption from conscription is provided for individuals with serious diseases of the arteries, veins, or lymph nodes, if these conditions lead to significant circulatory disturbances.

Previously, "Telegraph" reported on whether a man with one kidney can be mobilized. One of the grounds for exemption from mobilization is serious impairment of kidney and urogenital system function.