The question of the categories of fitness for military service is one of the most confusing in the military law of Ukraine. Despite the fact that everyone who has passed the military medical commission has heard of the letters A, B, C, D, D, the meaning of these designations is clear only to a few. Let’s figure out what each category of fitness means.
And let’s start with the fact that the designations A, B, C, D, and E are still widely used in everyday life. But they have actually lost their validity. After the changes in the legislation, the VLK uses specific verbal formulations of the resolution.
Who determines eligibility and on what basis?
The decision on fitness for military service is made by military medical commissions based on the person’s health status and available medical documents. The legal basis for this is the Regulations on Military Medical Examination and the Schedule of Diseases, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine No. 402 dated 14.08.2008.
This order determines the procedure for conducting military medical examinations, assessing the health of conscripts, reservists, and servicemen, as well as establishing the degree of fitness for service.
What did the fitness categories A, B, C, D, and E mean?
The old system distinguished five categories:
- A is an old convention for general fitness for military service. A person was considered fully fit, with no restrictions on place of service or position.
- B is an old household designation of fitness with certain restrictions. There is no separate legal category “B” in the current VLK system. Instead, the VLK can recognize a person as fit for service in certain units: in particular, in military support units, TCK and SP, VVNIZ, training centers, medical units, logistics, communications, operational support and security units.
- B is the former designation for the status of “limitedly fit for military service.” This status as a separate category was abolished in 2024. People who previously had the status of limitedly fit are undergoing or have undergone a re-medical examination to determine fitness under the new rules.
- G is the old designation for temporary unfitness. The modern VLK system uses, in particular, the wording “unfit for military service with review in 6–12 months.” That is, this is not a final decision on unfitness.
- D is the old designation for complete unfitness. In 2026, it is necessary to look at the exact wording of the VLK resolution: in particular, whether it is about unfitness for military service with exclusion from military registration, or about unfitness with review after 6–12 months.
| Marking | What did it mean before? | What does it mean in 2026? |
| A | Suitable for military service | The VLK indicates a specific conclusion on suitability |
| B | Suitable with minor restrictions | Possible decision on fitness for service in certain units |
| IN | Limitedly suitable | Limited suitability status revoked in 2024 |
| G | Temporarily unavailable | The decision of the Military Medical Service may sound like “unfit for military service with review in 6–12 months” |
| D | Unsuitable | The precise wording is important: whether an exemption from military registration is provided or a review is ordered. |
Categories of fitness for military service: recent changes
After the abolition of the “limitedly fit” status in 2024, the A–B–C–D–D system is no longer relevant. The full text of the VLK resolution and the reference to the applied article and paragraph of the Schedule of Diseases of Order No. 402 are of decisive importance.
But it’s not that simple.
Additional confusion is created by the fact that Order No. 402 within each article of the Schedule of Diseases also uses the letters a, b, c, and d — but these are different, narrower designations that relate to a specific paragraph of the article, and not to the household category of a person’s fitness in general.
To avoid confusion, it is worth remembering: the final conclusion of the VLK is formulated not with a letter, but with words:
- “suitable”;
- “fit for service in certain units”;
- “temporarily unusable”;
- “unsuitable”.
People with the same diagnosis may receive different conclusions: it all depends on the severity of the condition, existing functional impairments, and concomitant diseases recorded in medical documents.
Category B: what you should know
If an old military registration document indicates “category B”, it should not be automatically identified with the current decision of the Military Council. To determine the current status, you need to check the date and full text of the latest resolution of the Military Council.
If the Military Service Committee has determined suitability for service in certain units, the resolution must state the relevant specific wording. However, such a conclusion in itself does not grant the right to postponement or exemption from mobilization.
Category D and deregistration
Unfitness and exclusion from military registration are not the same wording. It is important to check what exactly is stated in the VLK resolution:
- If a person is found unfit for military service with exclusion from military registration, he or she is subject to this procedure.
- If the resolution provides for a review after 6–12 months, the person remains subject to military service.
How to appeal the VLK’s conclusion
If a person believes that the commission’s conclusion does not correspond to the actual state of health, it can only be changed through a formal procedure:
- Obtain a copy of the VLK resolution with a clear wording of the conclusion.
- Collect a full package of medical documents – discharge statements, examination results (MRI, CT scan, tests), consultations with specialized doctors.
- Compare these documents with the specific article and item of the Schedule of Diseases of Order No. 402.
- File a complaint with the higher VLK, indicating which resolution is being appealed and what the violation is.
- If the administrative appeal is unsuccessful, go to court.
Important: a complaint against a pre-trial resolution of the VLK must be filed within 30 days. It should be accompanied by a copy of the contested VLK resolution and medical documents confirming the applicant’s position.
Lawyers emphasize: for a successful appeal, it is necessary to prove that the commission did not take into account some of the medical documents, did not send the person for the necessary examination, or applied Article 402 of Order No. 402 incorrectly.
Sources used in the preparation of the article:
- Order of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine No. 402 dated 14.08.2008 “On approval of the Regulations on military medical examination in the Armed Forces of Ukraine” — zakon.rada.gov.ua
- “Fitness categories A, B, C, D, E: what they mean and how to change”, — urist24.com.ua
- “What are the degrees of fitness for military service in 2026?” 7eminar.ua
