100 Days of the Office of the Military Ombudsman

One hundred days have passed since the Office of the Military Ombudsman officially began its work. We succeeded in launching a new state institution in a record four months, although the law provides for a one-year implementation period.

During the first day of operation, the Office received more than 400 complaints; during the first week — 1,022. As of today, the number has already exceeded 6,000. The most common issues include:

• referrals to Military Medical Commissions (MMC);
• referrals for medical treatment;
• discharge from military service;
• transfers to other military units;
• military pay and additional payments.

We launched the inspection mechanism and initiated 1,403 inspections. As of today, 239 findings have already been prepared based on their results.

We regularly conduct monitoring visits to military units. Through direct communication with servicemembers and commanders at all levels — from battalion to corps command — we identify and resolve problems on the ground.

We established a two-level complaint analytics system: by categories of issues (medical care, military pay, prolonged deployment in positions, etc.) and by military unit. This allows us to identify systemic problems both across the Armed Forces as a whole and within specific units. Based on the collected data, we develop solutions ranging from targeted engagement with individual units to proposals for legislative amendments.

In February 2026, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine approved the Comprehensive Adaptation Programme for Newly Arrived Servicemembers Prior to Basic General Military Training (BGMT). In April 2025, the course was launched as a pilot initiative introduced by Military Ombudsman Olha Reshetylova, who at the time served as the Presidential Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Servicemembers and Their Families. The updated programme was later scaled up to all training units providing BGMT for mobilised personnel. Currently, together with NGO Frontline Reforms and with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation, we are training instructors who deliver adaptation courses at training centres.

Together with the NGO The Principle of Hope and the Media Initiative for Human Rights, we developed a course for servicemembers on conduct in captivity. Its purpose is to prepare servicemembers for one of the key occupational risks of military service. The course is currently being piloted in military units, with plans to scale it as a mandatory component of training after completion of BGMT.

We submitted proposals to the Ministry of Defence aimed at removing barriers preventing servicemembers receiving treatment abroad from undergoing Military Medical Commission procedures.

We provided the Government with proposals on additional social guarantees for servicemembers signing their first contract. In particular, we proposed a mechanism for compensating part of the initial mortgage payment and the possibility of receiving a certificate for vehicle purchase.

We monitored court hearings in cases involving servicemembers accused of absence without official leave (AWOL). We identified systemic problems, including prolonged proceedings, formalistic consideration of cases, insufficient protection of defendants’ rights, and inadequate legal defence. We are currently working to restore the rights of servicemembers who decided to return to service after AWOL but are unable to obtain documents or undergo Military Medical Commission procedures.

We initiated interagency work on approaches to mobilisation and medical treatment for individuals receiving substitution maintenance therapy. We are preparing a comprehensive study of the issue to support proposals for legislative amendments.

We launched interagency work aimed at developing solutions regarding predictable terms of military service. We are preparing proposals for the Government, including differentiated service periods based on the duration and nature of tasks performed in combat zones, short-term contracts with the right to deferment for servicemembers carrying out combat missions on the line of contact, and a fair rotation system.

We conducted a comprehensive study on the pathway of foreign servicemembers within the Defence Forces of Ukraine. This need arose due to the absence of clear procedures and unified approaches — from recruitment to payments, access to medical care, and communication between military units and families. Work with military authorities is currently ongoing to establish clear and understandable rules for foreign nationals serving in the Defence Forces.

We continue strengthening cooperation with the legal community in order to protect the rights of servicemembers. This allows us to address issues that fall beyond the Office’s direct mandate, including oversight of the enforcement of court decisions, legal representation, and legal counselling.

We participated in resolving issues surrounding the initiative to establish regional social support centres for missing and captured servicemembers and their family members. The Office of the Military Ombudsman identified the risks associated with this initiative and actively engaged with families and the authorised institutions involved in implementing the pilot project. As a result, the approach to implementation was revised.

We are expanding international cooperation to exchange experience with foreign partners. Representatives of the Office participated in 30 working meetings, round tables, and other events with international partners from eight countries, including military ombuds institutions. We share our experience in protecting the rights of servicemembers during full-scale war — an experience that is unique globally. At the same time, we adopt international practices, particularly in the field of military mediation, and exchange approaches to complaint handling and the use of analytical tools.

This is only part of what we have managed to accomplish during these 100 days. Every day, the Office of the Military Ombudsman works with hundreds of complex cases, balancing the protection of human rights within the military with the needs of national defence. Our team is united by a shared belief in this mission: we have already restored the rights of hundreds of servicemembers and, during full-scale war, launched the work of an institution whose establishment had been overdue for at least 12 years.