Military Ombudsman: rights of 2734 defenders restored in 2025

Restoration of servicemen's rights in 2025

According to ХВИЛЯ: In 2025, the Main Department for the Protection of Servicemen's Rights restored the rights of 2,734 defenders and their families. This number is three times higher than in 2024. The number of appeals to state institutions also increased: in 2024, 2,340 requests were recorded, while in 2025, over 7,600 were processed.

Throughout the year, 44 field inspections were conducted in military units, territorial recruitment centers, and medical facilities. As a result of the office's work, 166 recommendations for conducting official investigations were issued. Materials on 46 cases were handed over to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.

Main issues and initiatives

An important event was the adoption of the law 'On the Military Ombudsman', which aims to improve the protection of servicemen's rights. Officers of the office initiated changes to nine regulatory acts that will contribute to more effective performance of their duties.

The main problems raised by defenders were:

• Actions of officials from recruitment centers and service personnel (12%)
• Payments of monetary allowances and additional rewards (11%)
• Payments to families of prisoners or missing persons (7%)
• Search for missing persons (6%)
• Transfer to another place of service (5%)

This data indicates the need for further work in the area of protecting the rights of servicemen and their families.

The increase in the number of restored rights for servicemen indicates a surge in the activities of the Main Department for the Protection of Servicemen's Rights and an improvement in the mechanisms for responding to requests. The state's response to the issues faced by defenders is an important step towards ensuring their rights and social protection. The adoption of the law 'On the Military Ombudsman' may mark a significant step in enhancing the system for protecting servicemen's rights, but questions remain about the implementation of the introduced initiatives in practice.