Mobilization Employee Day in Ukraine Date in the current year: March 17, 2024

In the military, the term “mobilization” refers to the act of assembling and readying troops and supplies for possible war. It can be general or partial and can be carried out either openly or covertly, depending on the situation.

According to the Ukrainian law, mobilization is a set of measures taken to systematically prepare the national economy, state authorities, local governments, enterprises, institutions and organizations for functioning under the special period conditions, as well as to ready the Armed Forces of Ukraine, other military formations and the Operational and Rescue Service of the Civil Defense of Ukraine for wartime missions. The special period begins from the moment mobilization is announced or martial law is imposed, lasts throughout the war and then for some time after the end of the hostilities.

The formation of mobilization bodies in independent Ukraine began shortly after the official foundation of the country’s Armed Forces. On September 12, 1992, the Department of Mobilization and Manning of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was created. On September 14, 1993, it was reorganized into the Main Organizational and Mobilization Department (GOMU).

In 2000, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine declared the Department foundation anniversary as Mobilization Employee Day in order to highlight the extraordinary importance of mobilization bodies and their contribution to staffing of the Armed Forces. From 2000 to 2015, the holiday was celebrated on September 14 each year.

The change of its date was prompted by the Russian military intervention in Ukraine that began in February 2014 and resulted in the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the War in Donbass that is still ongoing as of 2020. On March 17, Russian president Vladimir Putin approved the draft agreement on the admission of the Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation.

In response, acting president of Ukraine Oleskandr Turchynov signed a decree on partial mobilization, launching the first wave of mobilization for a special period of 45 days, during which conscripts and reservists were drafted into the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the Security Service, the State Border Guard Service, the State Special Transport Service, and other military units.

To commemorate the beginning of large-scale mobilization of Ukraine and to celebrate the bravery of the military personnel participating in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (the official name of the War in Donbass at the time), President Petro Poroshenko changed the date of Mobilization Employee Day from September 14 to March 17.

On Mobilization Employee Day, the country’s political and military leaders congratulate mobilization employees on their professional holiday and award those of them who have distinguished themselves. Mobilization Employee Day is not a non-working day, unless it falls on a weekend.