Ministry of Defense and Verkhovna Rada Reach Agreement on Military Ombudsman and Responsibility Legislation
Amid ongoing public debates and discussions about future legislative amendments, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and relevant parliamentary committees have converged on a unified stance concerning the revision and improvement of Bill No.
13452.
The primary goal is to support the establishment of a military ombudsman institute, which is proposed to serve as an assistive body under the President of Ukraine, and to prevent the tightening of penalties for military insubordination—a move that sparked widespread public outrage in recent days.
The Defense Ministry, in consultations with heads of relevant parliamentary committees, expressed readiness to endorse the draft law aimed at creating an independent Office of the Military Ombudsman.
This office is expected to provide essential protections for servicemen’s rights and to enhance fairness within the military justice system.
At the same time, the ministry emphasizes the need for further refinement of the law based on recommendations from parliamentarians, as increasing responsibility for military personnel should not come at the expense of justice and procedural fairness.
The ministry underlines that discipline in the armed forces should rest on principles of justice, and any proposed changes must account for individual circumstances and reasons behind each case.
It is noteworthy that last week, a large protest took place on Independence Square in Kyiv, where demonstrators voiced their opposition to the law aimed at escalating military responsibility.
Participants demanded the rejection of Bill No.
13452, the annulment of provisions from Law No.
8271 of 2022, and the swift establishment of a military ombudsman to safeguard servicemen’s rights.
Additionally, on September 4, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading Bill No.
13260, which suggests reinstating criminal liability for surrender and desertion—a move that further polarized public opinion and military circles.