Can you be drafted with hearing issues? Discover which ear conditions may exempt you from military service.

In Ukraine, during mobilization, certain categories of men are exempt from military service due to health conditions. Specifically, this exemption applies to those with serious ear diseases.

This is regulated by the Ministry of Defense order №262 dated April 27, 2024. Men will not be mobilized if they have:

• permanent total deafness in both ears or deaf-muteness;
• bilateral severe and profound (3-4 degrees) hearing impairment;
• deafness in one ear and severe hearing loss in the other;
• bilateral severe progressive hearing loss;
• hearing loss with damage to the central parts of the auditory analyzer, expressed in pronounced vegetative and extreme manifestations.

It should be noted that to be exempt from mobilization, the military conscript must undergo a medical examination by the military medical commission (VVK). The decision regarding unfitness for military service is based on the conclusions of medical specialists who assess the severity of the illness and its impact on the overall health condition.

We remind you that men with serious kidney disorders and urinary system issues are also exempt from mobilization. The following diseases may serve as grounds for exemption from conscription:

• kidney failure stage IV-V due to glomerular and tubulointerstitial kidney diseases — nephrotic syndrome, chronic interstitial nephritis, acute pyelitis, pyelonephritis, tubulointerstitial nephritis, chronic primary pyelonephritis, nephropathies;
• diseases of the kidney, ureter, bladder, and urethra with significant functional impairments — obstructive uropathy, hydronephrosis, pyonephrosis, kidney stones, kidney cyst, cystitis, urethritis, urethral stricture, and others;
• diseases of male reproductive organs with significant functional impairments such as hyperplasia, adenoma, and myoma of the prostate, inflammatory and other diseases of male reproductive organs.

It is worth mentioning that the absence of one kidney without significant functional impairments will not prevent a man from being conscripted into military service.

Earlier, "Telegraf" reported that some spinal diseases are grounds for exemption from mobilization. To determine the fitness status, one must undergo a VVK examination.