The head of the President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov, announced plans to implement effective measures to combat corruption in the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers (TCC and SSP), as well as to address the issue of unauthorized desertion from military units (UDM) by Ukrainian servicemen. According to him, these problems significantly undermine the country’s defense capabilities.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Strengthening control over corruption in military structures
As Budanov reported, a recent expanded meeting took place with the leadership of the General Staff, the Ground Forces, the Military Law Enforcement Service, and representatives of law enforcement agencies. The main topics of the meeting were combating corruption in the TCC and SSP system, as well as addressing the issue of unauthorized desertion within the Armed Forces.
“I held an expanded meeting with the leadership of the General Staff, the Ground Forces, the Military Law Enforcement Service, and heads of law enforcement agencies in the country. On the agenda is combating corruption in the TCC and SSP system and the issue of UDM in the army,” he noted.
Budanov emphasized that abuse of official position and undermining discipline among military personnel are unacceptable. He stated that an assessment of the situation is currently underway, along with the preparation of specific and effective solutions to address these issues.
Legislative changes regarding military responsibility
On August 20, 2024, the Verkhovna Rada approved changes to legislation that provide for a special procedure for exempting servicemen from criminal liability if they are first-time unauthorized deserters during martial law but return and express a willingness to serve. According to the Criminal Code, such a person can be exempted from liability if they voluntarily submit a statement to an investigator, prosecutor, or court and receive written consent from the commander of the military unit to continue service.
However, on September 4, the Verkhovna Rada supported in the first reading draft law No. 13260, which proposes reinstating criminal liability for military personnel even for the first unauthorized desertion from a unit.
It is worth noting that with the onset of the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine on February 24, martial law was declared and general mobilization was announced.