A candidate for the new role of Military ombudsman has been chosen and will be revealed in a presidential decree on Dec. 30, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Dec. 29.
Ukrainian officials first announced they would appoint a Military Ombudsman in April to ensure soldiers had a mechanism to report violations of their rights.
The ombudsman "will be responsible for considering appeals and complaints of servicemen, providing primary legal assistance, conducting inspections, and investigating violations of the rights of servicemen and their family members," the Defense Ministry said after the announcement of the position in April.
Calls for a military ombudsman have intensified in recent days following media reports of abuse in Ukraine's 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade, and have likely pushed authorities to swiftly appoint a military ombudsman.
Senior Lieutenant Vladyslav Pastukh has been accused of abusing authority, beating, and humiliating subordinates, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Dec. 26. While, his godfather, Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk was detained on Dec. 29 for failing to address abuse and torture allegations involving his subordinates.
"There was a request from our military, and it is an objective necessity — to create a special institution of a Military Ombudsman," Zelensky said on Dec. 29. "We need a person who can effectively protect the rights of our warriors."
The incidents stemming from the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade garnered widespread backlash following reports of abuse. In one of the alleged cases of abuse, Pastukh ordered subordinates to tie a victim to a wooden cross, where the soldier was immobilized for four hours.
"Together with the new commissioner, the human rights community, and the Ministry of Defense, we will draft a corresponding bill on the Military Ombudsman and establish the institutional framework for its operation," Zelensky said.
Zelensky added that the work of the ombudsman will start shortly, likely in the new year.
While the position of military ombudsman will be new to Ukraine, other militaries in Europe have long had an ombudsman to oversee the rights of military personnel, including Norway, Austria, Czechia, Belgium, and Sweden.
Dmytro Basmat
