The subject at hand refers to the Ministry of Defence’s Central Directorate for Protection of the Rights of Military Personnel. In the first four months of its operation, it successfully restored the rights of 851 service members and 57 service member’s families.

A total of 965 inquiries and appeals were processed, dealing with issues like salary non-payment, one-time allowances, military service dismissals, and requests for information on documents required for benefits, among other concerns. The experts reached out with more than 500 inquiries and letters to several authorities while undertaking nine official inspections and two investigations. In some cases, crime evidence has been uncovered and reported to the appropriate authorities.

According to Volodymyr Lahuta, head of the MoD’s Central Department for Protection of the Rights of Military Personnel, the team addresses the primary factors contributing to rights infringements, including unlawful conduct by officials and commanders, gaps in legislation, and the lack of legal awareness among service members. 

The work processes are segmented into three key areas: the rights of service members, the rights of service members’ families, and matters related to gender equality. Particular focus is directed towards issues that are pervasive and systemic, as well as those related to gender inequality. Such issues could be subjected to official inspections and investigations.

When deemed essential, the specialists within the directorate develop amendments to the legislation as needed or organize educational workshops. For example, a new streamlined method for submitting and reviewing reports was designed to ease the process for military personnel, including through the Army+ app. 

Besides that, cyberspace is consistently monitored to rapidly spot violations that have not been communicated to the proper authorities.

“We are aware that service members do not always appeal directly to the authorities, yet information about infringements on their rights can be disseminated on social media by their relatives or public organizations. Our efforts on monitoring the Internet environment enabled us to detect a systemic violation in one of the brigades and to restore the rights of nearly 50 defenders,” Volodymyr Lahuta noted.

Most professionals in the directorate combine combat experience with a legal educational background, and approximately one-third are licensed lawyers. Actually, the Ministry of Defense has set up an expert center dedicated to safeguarding the rights of military personnel and their families, enabling swift action against systemic violations and helping to avoid similar issues in the future.