Ukraine’s Parliament Passes National Resistance Law: What Civilians Need to Know.

Ukraine’s National Resistance Law

According to Novyny.live: On March 25, 2026, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada approved Law No. 13347, titled 'Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Specific Issues of Citizen Training for National Resistance.' The legislation aims to improve military training opportunities for civilians who want to acquire skills necessary for national resistance. This comes as part of Ukraine’s broader effort to strengthen civilian preparedness amid ongoing security challenges.

National resistance centers are already operating in every region of Ukraine, with the first ones opening in 2023–2024. Most of these centers were established following a Cabinet of Ministers resolution passed in spring 2022, 'On the Functioning of Citizen Training Centers for National Resistance.' Thanks to these facilities, tens of thousands of people across the country can receive basic military training free of charge.

Why This Law Matters

Anastasiia Rymar, a representative of the national resistance centers, stated: 'We demanded that lawmakers pass this bill. They delayed it for more than six months, but a unified position from the resistance centers, the state, and military structures—announced on March 12 this year at the All-Ukrainian Forum ‘National Resistance 2026’—proved decisive.'

The newly adopted law allows national resistance centers to purchase semi-automatic firearms and conduct live-fire exercises independently. According to Rymar, this is a critical step for implementing basic national resistance training programs, which cover up to 15 areas, including marksmanship.

Under the new rules, students will study 'Fundamentals of National Resistance' instead of traditional subjects, highlighting the urgency and importance of preparing citizens for potential threats. These changes are expected to boost the population’s readiness to respond to emergencies and military conflicts.

Passing this law represents a major step in strengthening Ukraine’s national security, especially given today’s challenges. Training citizens for national resistance not only equips them with military skills but also fosters awareness of their role in defending the country. It also reflects the state’s strategic approach to enhancing defense capabilities and ensuring the population is prepared to handle crisis situations.