Ukrainian Armed Forces Simplify Procedure for Soldiers Returning After Unauthorized Leave

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (ZSU) has declared a significant change in the process for soldiers who have voluntarily left their military units. Effective immediately, documents for appointments will now be submitted directly from the military unit to the General Staff, streamlining the process for soldiers to return to duty.

This announcement was made on Thursday, April 2, through a statement from the press service of the ZSU General Staff. The statement highlighted that the Commander-in-Chief of the ZSU, Oleksandr Syrskyi, made the decision to eliminate intermediary levels in the processing of documents, specifically army corps, operational commands, and other structural divisions.

The General Staff emphasized that these new measures are designed not only to expedite the appointment of soldiers to their positions but also to make the transfer process more transparent. This initiative aims to eliminate potential manipulations by certain officials who may obstruct the transfer of military personnel. However, the new appointment mechanism does not alter the conditions for returning to service after unauthorized leave (SZZ).

Under the new rules, a more democratic approach has been introduced for transferring soldiers to their chosen military units. The Armed Forces noted that recommendation letters, which will now be exclusively electronic, should not be used as a means to transfer from a combat brigade engaged in active front-line operations to a unit with more comfortable service conditions.

Moreover, the General Staff is implementing measures to reduce paperwork related to the processing of materials such as orders and directives concerning the movement of military personnel. This will help shorten the time required for making personnel decisions.

Previously, Oleksandr Syrskyi stressed that the issue of unauthorized leave (SZZ) should be addressed by improving service conditions at all levels rather than through the imposition of stricter penalties. He noted that significant progress has already been made to encourage soldiers to return from SZZ.

On March 25, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov reported that he discussed problematic issues and changes for military personnel with assault troops and infantry from 13 defense units engaged in challenging tasks at the front. This reflects the active efforts of the Ministry of Defense to improve service conditions for military personnel.

In January, Minister Fedorov also stated that approximately 2 million conscripted Ukrainians are currently wanted, with around 200,000 military personnel classified as being in a state of unauthorized leave (SZZ). On February 23, he added that the Ministry of Defense is working on a comprehensive reform of mobilization in Ukraine, indicating a systemic approach to addressing issues related to military service.