How to Solve the Issue with SOCH — Military Officer Proposed a Solution

A Ukrainian Armed Forces serviceman. Illustration: News.LIVE

In Ukraine yesterday, 20 September, the fourth period of simplified return for servicemen who left military units of their own accord (desertion) officially ended. At the same time, serviceman Ihor Lutsenko believes that the approach to this issue should be changed, since the state is dealing with the consequences of desertion, not the causes of these cases.

This was reported by News.LIVE, citing his Facebook.

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What needs to be changed in the approach to voluntary abandonment of a military unit

Lutsenko noted that the simplified return mechanisms operated from 1 January, 1 March, and 30 August. After these periods ended, return remained possible but no longer under a preferential regime.

According to the serviceman, the number of desertion cases could reach 400 thousand, if not more. He stressed that the law enforcement and judicial systems simply cannot process that many cases, so his solution is decriminalization.

“It’s almost a joke to say this, but I’ll joke: in reality, desertion should be decriminalized, just impose some fine for it, and this would simplify life for many. After all, all these threatening criminal articles don’t work even by one percent,” Lutsenko said.

He noted that one of the main causes of desertion are problems that arise at the training centers. In particular, some mobilized individuals are not psychologically ready for military service, so the serviceman believes that newcomers should undergo a gradual adaptation.

The second factor, he named conflicts that arise between soldiers and the command. This problem, in his view, can be solved by simplifying transfers between units.

“The current transfer system is still a slow hell. Even when both commanders agree, the system can block the transfer for months,” says Lutsenko.

And finally, the third reason is the size of combat allowances. In his words, monetary compensation has not effectively kept pace with inflation, and this issue is especially acute for those defenders who have to support families.

In summary, Lutsenko drew attention to Ukraine’s budget proposal for the 2027 year, where expenditures in this area are planned to be increased by more than 20%. The serviceman expressed hope that ultimately this will lead to higher payments to Ukrainian defenders.

Lutsenko’s post. Photo: screenshot

As News.LIVE reported, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine explained that the assertion that a serviceman cannot desert before taking the military oath is legally incorrect. The decisive moment is the start of military service, not the date of taking the oath.

We also wrote that servicemen who deserted but soon returned will have their payments restored.