After the Summary Dismissal: Who among the Military Cannot Return to Service under a Simplified Algorithm.

Military personnel who have deserted will be able to return without criminal liability

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has announced that military personnel who have deserted will have the opportunity to return to service without criminal liability and to be transferred to another unit. According to the Ministry of Defense, military personnel are granted until March 1, 2025, to return to service without repercussions. However, this opportunity does not apply to those who deserted after November 29, 2024. For these individuals, there is a dismissal procedure that does not involve criminal liability.

Military personnel who deserted after November 29 may face long waits for reappointment without pay and guarantees.

To return to service, military personnel need to obtain written consent from the commander of the unit from which they deserted, or from the reserve battalion to which they will be assigned during the restoration period. Additionally, it is necessary to conduct an investigation of the court proceedings and obtain a military court ruling regarding exemption from liability. Only after this can the process of reinstatement in service begin, along with resuming monetary payments and social guarantees that were suspended after the desertion. Military personnel who first deserted before November 29 can simply return to the army by March 1, 2025. For this, they need to open the mobile application 'Army+' and submit an application for 'Return to Service after Desertion' along with a recommendation letter from the military unit willing to accept the soldier.

The 'Army+' application will send notifications about each stage of the reinstatement process and provide instructions on further actions that need to be taken.