Military Ombudsman’s Office receives over 15,000 complaints in first eight months

The Military Ombudsman’s Office has received more than 15,000 complaints over its first eight months of operation, the Ukrainian institution reported. The most problematic issues include medical treatment, discharge and transfer from service, financial provision, rotations and evacuation.

Photo credit: Military Ombudsman’s Office

The Law on the Military Ombudsman was adopted by the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on 17 September 2025. The military Ombudsman’s Office began its work on 27 January 2026. Over the first eight months, the institution received more than 15,000 complaints.

The office named the most problematic issues raised in the appeals:

• medical treatment and referral to the military medical commission;
• discharge and transfer from military service;
• financial provision;
• rotations and evacuation.

The institution’s work covers considering complaints, conducting inspections and restoring violated rights. The team also analyses data, identifies trends and systemic problems, seeks complex solutions and prepares proposals for improving legislation.

Over eight months, the Military Ombudsman’s Office has developed a series of proposals for systemic changes, namely, how to improve medical provision and protect the rights of foreign volunteers, as well as military personnel undergoing substitution maintenance therapy, regarding passport restoration.

The military ombudsman’s team conducted a study on prolonged stays at combat positions and formulated proposals to address the identified problems. In the near future, they will be presented to the state’s military and political leadership, the institution’s press service reported.

It has submitted nearly 30 proposals for improving legislation to the President’s Office, the government, relevant ministries and the Verkhovna Rada. Four draft laws were sent to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security:

• to credit participation in combat operations towards the term of imprisonment and defer its execution for convicts undergoing military service;
• to credit the period of captivity towards years of service for pension calculation;
• to align the grounds for granting deferment from mobilisation with the grounds for discharge from military service;
• to regulate the discharge from military service of underage cadets expelled from military educational institutions.

The Military Ombudsman’s Office urged the Ukrainian parliament to support draft law No. 13267 in the second reading, which will expand the institution’s powers. In particular, the military ombudsman will have the right to draw up administrative protocols and hold commanders and officials of all levels accountable through the courts.

ZMINA previously also reported that the Military Ombudsman’s Office launched a contact centre for military personnel’s appeals regarding violations of their rights during service. Calls are accepted by calling 1510.

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