The first month of operations of the Office of the Military Ombudsman

During the first month of its operation, the Office of the Military Ombudsman launched procedures to ensure the uninterrupted registration and consideration of complaints concerning violations of servicemembers’ rights.

In just the first 24 hours following the official announcement of the Office’s launch, 736 complaints were received.

The Office is currently staffed at only one-third of its full capacity and continues to expand. Each specialist is handling an average of 70 complaints simultaneously. The team is operating under significant operational pressure, while maintaining a strong sense of responsibility toward servicemembers. For us, it is essential not only to respond promptly, but also to thoroughly examine the underlying issues raised in each complaint and identify solutions.

Most frequent types of complaints

• referral for medical treatment and undergoing a Military Medical Commission;
• payment of monetary allowances and additional payments;
• transfer to another unit or discharge from military service;
• prolonged deployment in positions and lack of communication with family members.

How we process complaints

A significant number of complaints can be resolved remotely through direct communication with military units or by sending official requests. If the issue is not resolved at this stage, an inspection is initiated. In accordance with the law, the  standard time period for conducting an inspection is 30 working days. If there are valid grounds, this period may be extended for an additional 30 working days. As of now, 216 inspections have been initiated.

Results of complaint reviews

Some cases require immediate intervention. A wife of a servicemember from an assault unit contacted the Office with a complaint regarding inadequate medical support that posed a threat to his life and health. Following our intervention, the servicemember was urgently referred for surgery.

The wife of another servicemember contacted the Office regarding her husband, who had remained in positions for six months without rotation due to a shortage of personnel. Following communication between an Office representative and the military unit, the matter was addressed: the servicemember was withdrawn from his position for recovery.

A considerable number of complaints require more time to resolve. A servicemember with a Group I disability had been listed as absent without leave. Despite the closure of the proceeding, the military unit continued to maintain this status and did not remove him from its records. As a result, the servicemember’s father was unable to arrange payments in connection with his son’s disability. Following sustained engagement between the Office and the military unit, the servicemember was discharged from military service. This made it possible to process the relevant payments.

These are just a few examples among hundreds of resolved cases. Most of them remain outside public communication, but they make a meaningful difference for individual servicemembers.

Alongside the ongoing review of complaints, the Office is working on systemic changes

The Office has examined the full service pathway of foreign servicemembers within the Defence Forces of Ukraine. The findings identified a number of problematic issues requiring systemic regulation and the establishment of clear procedures. Work is currently underway with military authorities and all relevant stakeholders to jointly develop solutions regarding payments to foreign servicemembers, access to medical care, obtaining Combatant Status, and improving communication between military units and families.

In cooperation with the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the Office has developed a draft law eliminating a discriminatory provision in the Law of Ukraine “On the National Military Memorial Cemetery.” The provision prohibited the burial of servicemembers who, at the time of death, had an unexpunged or unspent conviction for an intentional crime. This is an example of a timely response and effective cooperation between state institutions.

The Office initiated a pilot project introducing a specialized course following basic military training for servicemembers on conduct in captivity and survival skills. The training covers information security, protection of personal data and financial accounts, instructions for family members, and unit-level procedures in case of loss of communication. The course was developed together with human rights defender and servicemember Maksym Butkevych, who endured Russian captivity. The pilot phase will be implemented in several units, after which the course is planned to be scaled to other military units.

We see a strong demand for the Office’s work and a daily need to protect the rights of servicemembers. The institution is currently in the process of being established, with the team expanding as we continue to strengthen our processes and response capacities.

For us, it is important not to provide a formal reply, but to ensure the effective restoration of violated rights and, through systemic solutions, to address the root causes of problems.