The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is introducing new regulations for the submission and review of military personnel reports and formal requests as part of a broader initiative to modernize and streamline military operations.
Deputy Minister of Defense Natalia Kalmykova emphasized the significance of these changes:
“Until now, there was no unified act regulating the issue of reports. This led to problems with informing servicemen about the results of their submitted reports, tracking them, and even possible abuse by commanders in this area. We are now initiating a new system that will bring order to this field, establish clear deadlines, rules, and responsibilities for their violation. This will protect the rights of servicemen and facilitate the consideration of important issues.”
The new rules aim to protect military personnel’s rights, establish clear timeframes for reviewing appeals, and increase commanders’ accountability. They define the concept of a report and its forms – oral, written, and electronic – and establish a clear sequence and procedure for report approval by commanders.
Under the new regulations, the review of paper reports by all direct commanders must be carried out immediately, but no later than 48 hours from the time of submission for issues related to military discipline, personnel duties during combat orders, preservation of life and health of personnel, and family circumstance leave. Reports on other matters are to be reviewed within 14 days of submission.
The new rules also introduce mandatory justification in case of report disapproval and set clear deadlines for review. Refusal to consider a report must be motivated and disapproval by immediate commanders does not prevent the report from moving forward for further consideration and decision-making.
This reform comes in the wake of Ukraine’s recent launch of the Army+ mobile application, introduced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 8 August 2024. The app aims to reduce paperwork and increase efficiency in military operations. Within 24 hours of its launch, 20,000 soldiers had authorized themselves in the app, according to Deputy Minister of Defense Kateryna Chernohorenko.
The Army+ app currently offers basic functions such as electronic reports, with plans to expand its features to include training programs, access to state-provided social services, and secure communication channels for soldiers.
As of 11 August, the Ministry of Defense reported that 52,000 Ukrainian military personnel had authorized themselves in the Army+ mobile application, marking a significant step in the digital transformation of Ukraine’s military processes.
These combined efforts reflect Ukraine’s commitment to modernizing its armed forces, enhancing operational efficiency, and improving the welfare of its military personnel in the face of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.
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