Ukrainian Government Criticized for Conditions on Return After Desertion
According to the author, the current government policy that allows soldiers who have left their units without permission to return only to the same branch is unfair and discourages many motivated fighters from coming back.
The Ukrainian government and Ministry of Defense are urged to revise the rules for soldiers returning to service after unauthorized absence (AWOL). The author, Svyatoslav Palamar, argues that the current system, which requires soldiers to return only to the same branch of the defense forces they left, is ineffective and unjust.
Palamar emphasizes that many soldiers left their units due to specific problems within their units—such as leadership issues, loss of faith in the system, or fatigue. These soldiers are experienced fighters ready to return, but they should be given the opportunity to choose another branch, such as the National Guard, Border Guards, or other defense forces.
The author criticizes the government for a bureaucratic approach that ignores real problems. Instead of facilitating return, the government has created obstacles by forcing soldiers back to the units where they faced difficulties. Palamar notes that this approach contradicts the goal of strengthening defense and prevents the army from recovering valuable, trained soldiers.
Palamar calls for fairer rules that would allow soldiers after AWOL to transfer to other units. He stresses that many soldiers are ready to resume fighting but do not want to return to the same conditions that caused their departure. Without such changes, the army will continue to lose motivated and combat-experienced personnel.
