Parliament adopts law on military ombudsman

At a meeting on Wednesday, September 17, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the second reading and in general the draft law No. 13266 on the military ombudsman. This became known from the broadcast of the parliamentary session.

The document was supported by 283 MPs, including 190 representatives of the Servant of the People faction . Not a single MP voted against, but 18 abstained.

The parliamentary press service reported to that the law provides for the following: the military ombudsman will monitor the security and defense sector regarding the observance of the rights of military personnel, reservists and persons liable for military service during training, members of volunteer formations of territorial communities in connection with their participation in territorial defense or combat operations, persons involved in the resistance movement in the temporarily occupied territories (on a voluntary and confidential basis), as well as law enforcement officers involved in combat operations.

One of the key functions will be to identify violations, causes and conditions that lead to them, as well as to develop proposals for their minimization and elimination.

The Ombudsman will have the right to draw up and send conclusions and recommendations to commanders, military authorities and other state bodies to improve the effectiveness of the protection of rights. The Military Ombudsman will consider complaints and conduct inspections regarding alleged violations of rights.

According to the law, he/she has the right to request and receive necessary information, including restricted data. The Ombudsman is obliged not to disclose information about the applicant's personal life without his/her consent.

The military ombudsman is appointed by the president. Dismissal occurs by the decision of the head of state in connection with non-fulfillment or improper fulfillment of powers.

The Military Ombudsman will submit an annual report on its activities to the President and Parliament by March 30 of the following year. The report will be made public (except for information with restricted access) on the official website of the Ombudsman.

Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal welcomed the decision of the Verkhovna Rada.

"We are creating a new strong institution to protect the rights of Ukrainian servicemen. This is another step in the realization of our common key priority – meeting all the needs of the Ukrainian soldier. This is a step towards justice, towards strengthening our army, towards better defense capability of the state," he wrote .

Defense Minister adds that the military ombudsman will work under the president and implement democratic civilian control in the security and defense sector.

In particular, it will receive complaints from the military, conduct inspections in military units and administrative institutions, generate reports and interact with other authorities.

• On December 30, 2024, Zelensky signed a decree appointing Olga Reshetylova (Kobylynska) as the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Servicemen and Members of Their Families.
• In June 2025, the Verkhovna Rada adopted as a basis a draft law on the military ombudsman initiated by Zelensky.