Zaluzhnyi urges Zelensky to sign law increasing consequences for desertion

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi called on Dec. 19 for stricter legal liability for actions such as desertion, leaving a military unit or place of service, and disobedience to combat orders.

According to Zaluzhnyi, the current gaps in legislation, which only allow for fines or probationary sentences, are unfair and contribute to the loss of personnel, territory, and civilians on the front lines.

"Exposed areas of the front are forced to be covered by other servicemen, which leads to an increase in the loss of personnel, territories, and civilians on them. Often, lost positions have to be retaken by assaults that come at a very high cost," Zaluzhnyi stressed in a video on Facebook.

Zaluzhnyi urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign a law addressing these issues, stating that the military values discipline and that the proposed solution reflects the views of unit commanders.

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The Kyiv Independent