The term for the voluntary return of servicemen to service after AWOL may be extended. This was stated by Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Vereshchuk.
She reminded that on January 1, 2025, the period for voluntary return to service from AWOL expired.
“The idea is to extend this period (exactly how long is the subject of discussion). So, this is only an idea so far, but we have already started discussing it with the Defense Committee of the Verkhovna Rada. I am grateful to the Chairman of the Committee, Oleksandr Zavitnevych, for his efficiency,” said Vereshchuk.
She also expressed the opinion that recruiters from combat units who already have successful experience in this field should be more actively involved in returning the military to service.
“If someone manages to successfully return a soldier to service, then we need to let people work and support them in every way possible. By the way, we should not allow a situation when a unit has agreed to take a person after the SPC to itself, but he or she is sent to another unit,” she added.
As a reminder, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said that the number of cases of SOP among servicemen decreased in the fall of 2024.
According to Zelensky, the reason for desertion is the exhaustion of soldiers due to the ongoing war.