President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed Law No. 4931-IX, which extends the guarantees for military personnel who have been conditionally released early from their sentences to serve in the contract forces. They are now entitled to annual and sick leave, transfers between units, and, depending on their state of health, transfers to rear units, the Territorial Defence Forces, logistics or support units.
Briefly about the main points
- After one year of service, employees are entitled to 15 days’ annual leave.
- Sick leave will ensure that financial and material support is maintained.
- The Medical Board may recommend a transfer to the Training Centre or to rear units.
- Following captivity, 90 days’ leave with full pay is provided for.
- Female service personnel have been given guarantees regarding pregnancy and childcare.
Who are the new guarantees intended for?
The law applies to military personnel who have been granted conditional early release from their sentences in order to serve under a contract. It removes the restrictions that previously meant this group did not have access to some of the social and legal safeguards available to other military personnel.
According to the sponsors of Bill No. 15225, the service scheme for such individuals has been in place since May 2024. Since then, more than 12,000 people have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine from penal institutions. After more than a year and a half of the scheme’s implementation, the authors of the initiative have identified gaps relating to leave, medical treatment, transfers and the termination of contracts.
To. adoption of amendments Service personnel in this category were not entitled to annual basic leave or special leave following their release from captivity. Furthermore, no mechanism had been established for their transfer, particularly in cases where the Medical Examination Commission deemed a person fit for service in support units or other designated formations.
Leave, medical treatment and transfers between units
After one year of service and the end of administrative supervision, service personnel will be entitled to 15 days’ annual basic leave. They will also be entitled to sick leave following illness or injury, whilst retaining their pay and allowances.
After one year of service, the law permits a transfer from one unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to another. However, in the event of illness or injury, the length of service will be irrelevant: following the medical board’s assessment, the soldier may be transferred to a rear unit, TCC, a logistics unit or a support unit.
The changes also extend the options for taking sick leave, subject to a medical assessment, either at one’s place of residence or at one’s place of work.
Leave following captivity and safeguards for female service personnel
Servicemen in this category will be entitled, upon their release from captivity, to 90 days’ leave in one block, with full pay. The document also expands the grounds for discharge from military service, in particular in the event of disability sustained whilst defending Ukraine, and upon return from captivity.
Female military personnel who have been conditionally discharged early from contract service are entitled to maternity leave. The law also guarantees the right to be discharged from service on the grounds of pregnancy or the need to care for a child.
