Rights restored for over 600 military personnel and members of their families following unscheduled inspections

Since its establishment in June 2024, the Ministry of Defence’s Central Department for the Protection of Service Members' Rights has carried out 23 inspections—10 scheduled and 13 unscheduled—at military units, Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers (TRSSCs), military medical facilities, and military educational institutions. As a result of the unscheduled inspections, the rights of over 600 military personnel and their family members have been restored. Overall, the Central Department has facilitated the restoration of violated rights for more than 2,000 defenders. 

During these inspections, most of the issues in the system for protecting the rights of service members and their families were identified in the following areas:

• Disbursement of payments to military personnel and their families.
• Transfers to other duty stations and discharges from military service.
• Referrals for medical treatment.
• Operations of the Military Medical Commissions (MMC).

“Our core responsibility is not limited to documenting violations, but also to identifying systemic problems, rectifying them, and restoring justice for service members and their families. Every defender must know that the state upholds their rights and guarantees support,” emphasized Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Brigadier General of Justice Serhii Melnyk.

The inspection plan includes military units, regional TRSSCs, hospitals, and military educational institutions that receive the highest number of complaints regarding their operations.

Control measures are implemented according to clearly defined criteria, allowing for the timely detection, rectification of violations, and prevention of their recurrence. During these inspections, preventive and explanatory activities are also carried out, and practical assistance is provided to local command structures.

In cases of widespread, systemic, or high-profile rights violations, unscheduled inspections are initiated. These are initiated by the Minister of Defence or conducted based on a report from an officer of the Central Department.