President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed human rights activist Olha Reshetylova to the newly created position of military ombudsman on Dec. 30.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced in April that it would create the position to ensure soldiers had a way to report violations of their rights.
The ombudsman "will be responsible for considering appeals and complaints of service members, providing primary legal assistance, conducting inspections, and investigating violations of the rights of service members and their families," the Defense Ministry said at the time.
Reshetylova previously co-founded and headed the Media Initiative for Human Rights, which has investigated war crimes related to the Russian war in Ukraine since 2016 and advocates for changes in government policies and social practices related to protecting human rights.
In 2014, Reshetylova co-founded Come Back Alive, one of Ukraine's largest civilian fundraising organizations that purchases military items.
"Olha is a well-known, experienced, and effective Ukrainian human rights activist. She has already done a lot to build our state institutions and support Ukrainians," Zelensky said in his statement.
"Now the main task is to prepare, together with the Ukraine's Defense Ministry and civil society, a draft law on the Military Ombudsman and all the necessary systemic foundations for the work of this institution."
Calls to fill the position grew sharper in recent days following allegations of abuse in the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade.
Elsa Court
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