After a Year Abroad, an AWOL Soldier Returns to Ukraine and Rejoins the Khartia Brigade

Roman’s Comeback to Military Service

According to Главком: Roman, a Ukrainian serviceman known by the call sign Tysa, came back to Ukraine after spending one year overseas and resumed his duties with the Khartia Brigade. Hailing from the Ivano-Frankivsk region, he first entered the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2019 as a conscript and later signed a contract. When the full-scale invasion began in 2022, he served as an infantryman, taking part in combat operations in the Serebryansky Forest and near the town of Sudzha on the Kursk front.

The Road to Redemption

In early December 2022, Roman’s unit was pulled from the combat zone. His unauthorized departure from the unit on March 25, 2025, stemmed from a conflict with leadership and moral exhaustion after six years of service. Following that, he worked for two months in Bukovel, then illegally crossed a mountainous section of the Ukrainian-Romanian border. The next several months were spent in Poland, where his brother-a professional rope-access technician-lived.

About three weeks after crossing the border, Roman regretted his decision. 'Roughly three weeks later, I already regretted crossing. Everyone thinks it’s easy over there, but it’s not. You’re not at home-you’re a guest,' he said. The idea to return to Ukraine came after a phone call with a friend, during which he learned that a commander from his previous unit was now serving in the Khartia Brigade.

Exactly one year after going AWOL, on March 25, 2026, Roman again crossed the border illegally-this time by swimming across the Tysa River. He then went through the process of reinstatement and joined the Khartia Brigade, where he now serves in an anti-aircraft missile division as a Mavic drone operator. His duties include taking down enemy reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles.

Roman emphasized the importance of command support:

'The commander is excellent-there should be more like him. Honestly, if it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have come back. I just trust that commander.'

He also called on others abroad to return to Ukraine: 'There’s nothing scary about coming back. My advice to everyone overseas: return here across the border. Not the way I did, but through a military enlistment office. And go to Kharkiv.'

The Army+ app offers a simple, fast, and transparent mechanism for reinstatement. From June 12 to September 20, 2026, servicemen who went AWOL can voluntarily return and have their pay restored, provided their absence was recorded before June 12, 2026.

Roman’s return to service with the Khartia Brigade highlights the critical role of support and motivation for troops facing hardship at the front. His story also shows that even after difficult decisions like desertion, the door to return remains open-a powerful signal for other soldiers in similar situations. The Army+ app opens new pathways for those wanting to resume their service, which could positively affect volunteer numbers in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.