Voluntary return to the army: The OP announced unexpected changes for servicemen in SZCH.

The Ukrainian Parliament is considering the possibility of extending the term for voluntary return to service for military personnel who have unlawfully left their military units. This was reported by Iryna Vereshchuk, the Deputy Head of the President's Office.

'On January 1, 2025, the term for voluntary return to service from SZCH expired. The idea is to extend this term, although specific timeframes are still being discussed,' Vereshchuk stated during a briefing.

Currently, the initiative is at the discussion stage with the Defense Committee of the Verkhovna Rada. Among the additional measures to address the SZCH issues is to more actively involve recruiters from combat units. 'If someone successfully brings a soldier back to the ranks, we need to let people work and support them in every way possible,' emphasized the Deputy Head of the OP.

It is worth noting that on November 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law allowing servicemen who have unlawfully left their military units or deserted for the first Time to voluntarily return to service without criminal prosecution.

According to the legislation, criminal proceedings initiated under articles 407 and 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine do not prevent the continuation of military service if servicemen have voluntarily returned and expressed their readiness to continue service.

According to current legislation, servicemen who voluntarily return to service by January 1, 2025, receive full restoration of all social guarantees.

Earlier, the General Staff named the number of military personnel who returned from 'SZCH'.