Military Ombudsman Explains Why Soldiers Cannot Choose Their Brigade After Returning from Contract Service

Military Ombudsman Olga Kobylinska (Reshetylova) has shed light on the reasons why servicemen are not allowed to freely select their brigade after returning from Contract Service (CS). In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, she explained that this decision was made due to the normalization of military relocations, which has led to chaotic changes within units.

"Yes, you cannot just go wherever you want. Why was this done? Because at some point, moving due to CS became the norm: you went to CS, ended up in a new unit, and this turned into a kind of Brownian motion," Kobylinska stated. She emphasized that some units have abused this right, attempting to lure servicemen to their ranks, even sending them action algorithms for transition.

Kobylinska also highlighted that such practices negatively impact the planning and forecasting of military units. "This affects forecasting and planning at the tactical, operational, or strategic level. You can never predict how many people you have in a specific unit or on a section of the front. This should not be the case," she noted.

Furthermore, the military ombudsman dispelled rumors that all servicemen returning from CS are automatically sent to assault units. "This is not true. They return to units with priority staffing," Kobylinska stressed.

She explained that the distribution of servicemen depends on the current needs of the army. "For example, at one point, the 225th, 425th, or 210th assault regiments were prioritized, so they went there. But when the new 160th brigade was formed, many servicemen were sent to it because it was a priority for staffing. When the 61st brigade was preparing for deployment, they were prioritized," she explained.

Kobylinska also addressed the issue of payments for servicemen returning from CS, which is tied to the processing of documents. "Currently, there is a huge problem with servicemen returning from CS, as they are dispatched to other military units without the necessary documentation because their 'mother' military unit refuses to send it. They are left without financial support," she emphasized.

According to Kobylinska, one reason for this situation is the reluctance of commanders to transfer documents, often related to human factors. "We have 65 such complaints. Currently, we are manually demanding the return of documents. But we see a systemic problem," she stated.

In her opinion, the launch of the information and communication system 'Impulse,' which the Ministry of Defense is working on, could resolve this issue. "All data must be uploaded there, and servicemen will not need this stack of documents in printed form - everything can be filled out online. The military unit will be required to enter all data electronically, and then this problem will disappear," Kobylinska noted.

Kobylinska (Reshetylova) also added that servicemen who are serving typically go into CS at the stage of military training or during their transfer from a training center to a military unit. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has simplified the process of returning servicemen after unauthorized abandonment of their military unit by introducing a new appointment (transfer) mechanism that does not change the conditions for returning to service after CS but offers a more democratic approach to transferring to a chosen military unit.

Specifically, the new mechanism involves the electronic sending of recommendation letters, which should not be used for transferring from a combat brigade performing tasks in an active front area to a military unit with more comfortable service conditions.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the Ministry of Defense is preparing a series of decisions related to strengthening the infantry, improving the contract system in the Defense Forces, and responding to cases of unauthorized abandonment of units, as discussed in a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Photo: Facebook/ lha Reshetylova

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