Ukraine's newly-appointed official for soldiers' rights reveals scope of her activities

Olha Reshetylova, Presidential Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Military Personnel, has identified her first task as facilitating the adoption of the law on the establishment of the position of military ombudsperson. She expects the final version of the draft law to be submitted to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy soon.

Source: Reshetylova on the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "Now my role is very much about coordination. The first task set by the president is the adoption of the draft law on the military ombudsperson. We've worked on it before, I was a member of the working group set up at the Ministry of Defence, and it's almost finalised. I think the final version will be submitted to the president in the coming days and I hope we can discuss it and submit it to parliament.

The number one task is to pass the bill. So far, even though I'm called the military оmbudswoman, I'm not really one because there is no law on the military ombudsperson in Ukraine. Currently, I am the president's commissioner… Using his trust, I can perform certain tasks."

Details: Reshetylova emphasised that the office of the military ombudsperson will deal exclusively with the protection of the rights of active military personnel.

"Regarding those liable for military service, this falls under the competence of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights. If we are discussing veterans, it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Veterans. We are establishing a military ombudsperson specifically for active military personnel," Reshetylova stressed.

She noted that servicemen and servicewomen can approach her if their rights are violated.

Reshetylova stated that since her appointment, she has received "a large number of complaints that need to be addressed".

"There are complaints of both individual nature – such as non-statutory relations and misunderstandings within military units – and more general issues that require systematic attention. For example, DNA sampling during the enlistment process. There are regulations on this, the task has not yet been fully implemented, and the work has not been established systematically. There are other tasks as well, and we will begin addressing them shortly," the commissioner said.

She also mentioned the stereotype in society that "the military ombudsperson is a person who will walk around military units with a stick and beat bad commanders".

"That's naturally not the case. The military ombudsperson should focus on developing policies and systemic solutions to restore the self-esteem of servicemen and women, placing the individual at the centre of the defence forces. In my opinion, this is what will fundamentally distinguish us from the Russian Armed Forces and enable us to win – the sense of dignity of the Ukrainian soldier," Reshetylova said.

She noted that the law on the military ombudsperson should set a specific time frame for responding to complaints, potentially within 3 to 5 days. This is essential, as some cases involving violations of soldiers' rights, such as physical abuse, require prompt action.

"We envisage that the office should have at least three territorial departments... I think the staff should be about 150 people in total," the commissioner said.

Previously: On 30 December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed human rights activist Olha Reshetylova as the military ombudswoman.

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