How citizens can contact the Ministry of Defence: Step-by-step guidelines and tips

Every citizen of Ukraine has the right to submit requests, complaints, and proposals to government authorities. This right is guaranteed by the Constitution and other laws and regulations.

Within the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the Department for Citizen Appeals and Public Information Access is responsible for handling these matters. The Department’s experts facilitate the exercise of citizens’ right to make submissions and take public opinion into account when preparing and adopting administrative decisions.

To ensure that submissions are reviewed promptly and appropriately, specific rules for preparing and submitting them should be followed. The Ministry of Defence explains how to do this.

What is a citizen submission?

A submission to the Ministry of Defence may take the form of a proposal (comment), request (petition), or complaint, either written or oral.

• Proposal(comment): a submission providing advice or recommendations concerning an institution’s activities, or expressing opinions on the regulation of public affairs.
• Request (petition): a submission made by a citizen seeking support in exercising rights and interests guaranteed by the Constitution and applicable legislation, or reporting breaches of law or deficiencies in the operations of an institution. Petition: a written request seeking official recognition of a person’s status, rights, freedoms, or other entitlements
• Complaint: a submission requesting the restoration of rights and the protection of lawful interests that have been infringed by the actions, inaction, or decisions of an institution or its officials.

Submissions to the Ministry of Defence may be filed by citizens of Ukraine and foreign nationals who are legally residing in the country. 

Service members and law enforcement officers may also submit submissions, provided the matters do not relate to their official duties.

Guidelines for properly preparing a submission to the Ministry of Defence

Proper preparation of a submission speeds up the review process. Compliance with the following key requirements helps ensure that your submission will be directed to the appropriate department.

Submissions can be filed in the following forms:

• individual or collective;
• written or oral.

A written submission may be sent by post (in paper form) or by email (electronic). It is important to include the following information:

• full name;
• residential address;
• the subject matter of the submission;
• personal signature and date;
• email address (for electronic submissions).

An electronic submission is considered a form of written submission. To comply with the above requirements, when submitting by email, you must attach a scanned or photographed copy of the submission bearing your handwritten signature.

Please note that a digital signature is not required for an electronic submission.

Important note! Without this information, the submission will be treated as anonymous and will not be subject to review.

Where should written submissions be sent?

A written submission in paper form should be mailed to: 6 Povitrianykh Syl Avenue, Kyiv, 03049, Ukraine.

Electronic submissions should be sent to the designated email address: [email protected]. After a submission is received by the Ministry of Defence, it is assigned a registration number. 

In addition, submissions to the Ministry of Defence can also be filed through the Government Contact Center. To do this:

• Register on the platform ukc.gov.ua;
• Click the “Create submission” button;
• Select the following topic: “Ministry of Defence Hotline”;
• Briefly and clearly describe the subject matter of the submission, attaching files if necessary;
• Click the “Send submission” button.

After registration, you can track the progress of your submission in your personal account.

Where should oral submissions be sent?

An oral submission can be filed by telephone or during an in-person appointment.

Contact phone numbers:

• 1512 – Hotline of the Ministry of Defence
• 1545 – Hotline of the Government;
• +38 (044) 284 1915 – Hotline of the Government for calls from abroad (charges apply according to the relevant operator’s rates);

In-person appointments for citizens are conducted by a specialist of the Department for Citizen Appeals and Public Information Access. The Public Reception Office operates at the following address: 30/1 Hrushevskoho St., Kyiv, 01021, Ukraine.

No prior appointment is required; visitors are served on a first-come, first-served basis. Public Reception Office – Operating hours:

• Monday–Thursday: 09:00–18:00
• Friday: 09:00–16:45

During martial law, reinforced security measures are applied. Access to the Ministry’s premises is restricted. During an air raid alert, consultations are temporarily suspended.

Oral submissions are also assigned a registration number.

What is the procedure for handling citizen submissions?

The standard review period for a submission shall be within one month of the date of receipt. If the matter is straightforward and does not require further examination, a response shall be provided within 15 days. 

In specific cases, the period for considering a submission may be extended to a maximum of 45 days. In particular circumstances, notably for submissions filed by individuals entitled to benefits, cases shall be given priority in processing. 

The following submissions are not subject to review:

• anonymous submissions lacking the required details;
• repeat submissions on the same matter if it has already been addressed;
• submissions containing defamation, insults, or incitement to hostility.

Submissions containing offensive content may be considered an offense and may entail liability under the law. 

If you believe that your rights have been violated in the course of reviewing your submission, you may contact the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman): 

• Email: [email protected];
• Mailing address for correspondence and in-person submissions: 21/8 Instytutska St., Kyiv, 01008, Ukraine;
• Hotline: 0(800) 501 720.