Disability Benefits: A Major Hurdle for Soldiers with AWOL Status
Ukrainian soldiers designated as Absent Without Leave (AWOL) face significant obstacles when trying to register for disability benefits, even when suffering from serious health conditions. While service members are entitled to disability classification, the AWOL status complicates the process of undergoing the required expert assessment. As noted by Vyacheslav Kyrdа, the AWOL designation does not formally negate a person's health condition, but the procedure for obtaining the necessary referral for evaluation becomes virtually inaccessible for these individuals.
The Expert Team and the Referral Problem
The Expert Team for Assessing Personal Daily Functioning (ETAPDF), which replaced the Medico-Social Expert Commission (MSEC) in 2025-2026, requires a formal referral to conduct its assessment. This referral must be issued by the doctor who treated the soldier. However, obtaining it for a service member with AWOL status is nearly impossible. As Yuriy Aivazian emphasizes, the procedure for military personnel differs from the civilian one, further complicating access to essential documentation. This situation highlights a critical gap in the support system for veterans and active-duty personnel with complex service records.
It is important to note that for civilians, the referral for this expert evaluation is issued by a family doctor. In contrast, for military personnel with AWOL status, a family doctor will most likely refuse to provide the referral. Consequently, service members in need of disability registration find themselves in a difficult position where legal and medical barriers create a serious impediment to receiving necessary aid.
The challenge of securing disability status for soldiers with AWOL records underscores the urgent need to review existing procedures and regulations. The complications these service members encounter point to systemic inadequacies in supporting individuals who have sustained serious injuries or illnesses during their service. Resolving these issues may require not only legislative changes but also improved inter-agency coordination between medical institutions and military structures.