Ukraine parliament approves bill for deserters to return to military

The Ukrainian parliament has approved a bill allowing soldiers who previously abandoned or deserted units to return to military service. Unauthorized departure from a military unit is the most common crime committed by Ukrainian soldiers.

According to the bill, soldiers who decide to return can apply to an investigator or prosecutor. However, this application must be approved by the commander of the unit to which the soldier wants to return. This action aims to continue military service.

Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine Natalia Kalmykova emphasized the need to create a system that will enable soldiers to return to service. "The current regulations need to be changed," Kalmykova said. There are many cases where soldiers who left their units without permission want to return to the military. We need to give them this opportunity and create the conditions for their return."

If the bill, developed by the Ministry of Defence among others, is fully adopted, soldiers who decide to return to service will be exempt from criminal liability. Additionally, their pay and benefits will be reinstated upon returning to the units.

In the first half of 2024, law enforcement officers across Ukraine initiated nearly 30,000 new criminal cases related to the desertion of military personnel. Desertion is becoming an increasing problem. Since the beginning of this year, three times more soldiers have fled the Ukrainian military than in the whole of 2022.

According to Deutsche Welle, the Ukrainian government is considering rescinding penalties for desertion if those who fled return to the ranks of the army. Unauthorized departure from a military unit is the most common crime committed by Ukrainian soldiers.

Meanwhile, the President of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, Stanislav Kravchenko, announced that last year, 1,577 military personnel, including 30 women, were convicted of this crime.