Military personnel continue to actively reach out to the Office of the Military Ombudsman with various complaints, the majority of which concern issues related to medical care, transfers to other duty stations, and the actions of commanders. This was reported by the First Deputy Military Ombudsman Ruslan Tsygankov.
This is reported by Finway
Main Reasons for Military Complaints
According to the official, military personnel most frequently complain about problems obtaining medical assistance, difficulties in transferring to other positions or units, as well as the process of withdrawal from combat positions, which requires physical and psychological effort. A significant number of complaints are also related to potential abuses by commanders, particularly regarding delays or non-payment of financial support, as well as actions that military personnel consider illegal.
“First and foremost, I would probably highlight issues related to medical care, the transfer to another duty station, and also issues related to withdrawal from positions. In fact, this is a very complex process from a physical standpoint, I mean the actual implementation of the withdrawal of a serviceman. There are also questions about possible abuses by commanders – particularly regarding non-payment of financial support or, in the opinion of the serviceman, illegal actions by the commander”
Complaint Situation: Statistics and Reasons
Ruslan Tsygankov noted that not all complaints confirm real violations of the rights of military personnel. Often, complaints are related to misinterpretations of legislative or regulatory requirements, which makes it difficult to establish the fact of a violation.
He also reported that the number of complaints has now stabilized: an average of 70–80 complaints are received daily, although previously this figure reached 300–400 per day after the Office was established. Over time, their number decreased to 50, but has now risen again to 70–90 complaints per day.
The Office of the Military Ombudsman exercises civilian oversight of the rights of both military personnel and volunteers from territorial communities, reservists, participants in the resistance movement, and law enforcement officers involved in combat operations.
It is worth noting that on September 19, 2025, a decision was made to establish the Office of the Military Ombudsman, and on October 16, the President of Ukraine appointed Olga Reshetilova as the Military Ombudsman. Since then, the office has been operating in accordance with the law “On the Office of the Military Ombudsman.”