Ukraine offers return for deserters in bid to bolster military

The Ukrainian parliament has approved a bill allowing soldiers who previously abandoned or deserted units to return to military service. Unauthorized departure from an army 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. The goal is to enable soldiers to continue their military service.

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

If the bill, developed by the Ministry of Defense and 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 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 entire year 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 remains 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.