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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The latest, already the fourth (!) deadline in Ukrainian history for the simplified procedure for returning from self-withdrawal from service (SWAS) has expired in 20 September. The state does not betray itself. Perhaps the army’s most painful problem is being treated at the level of symptoms and consequences, not causes.
It’s a sin to joke, but I’ll joke anyway: in reality it would be worth simply decriminalizing SWAS, just introducing some fine for it, and thereby it would simplify life for many. Because all these threatening criminal articles do not work even for one percent. It’s no accident that in December 2025 a statistic was concealed – both regarding SWAS and regarding the percentage of convictions under this article, since both figures are two separate shames for Ukraine. This is written by Ihor Lutsenko.
Gingerbread instead of a whip
And in reality our situation is not far from a joke, because the first SWAS now provides zero real punishment. But a huge headache for investigators, prosecutors, and judges, who will toil for years to issue a verdict. That’s one.
And the second thing is that government institutions constantly propose simplifying the SWAS return procedure with no consequences for the person involved.
There were previous deadlines. 1 January 2025 – the first legislative “window” for voluntary return from SWAS with guaranteed restoration of service and benefits. 1 March 2025 – a continuation of the same mechanism. 30 August 2025 of the year – a new, expanded window by law, which also covered new SWAS cases. After each deadline a return remained possible, but no longer under the favorable regime.
According to modest estimates, we have about 400 thousand or more SWAS cases, and none of them can be investigated and the verdicts issued by even five Ukrainian court systems together with the prosecutor’s office and the State Bureau of Investigation. So this is already the fourth time the state raises its paws in complete incapacity to do something about it.
We need to remove the root causes of SWAS.
Recall that the biggest number of people run away at the training center stage, when overbearing and psychologically unprepared newly minted servicemen are being pushed into infantry.
Of course, for those who have fought for many years this sounds insulting, but in order to make today’s average novice psychologically fit for the army (after everything that pours from TikTok and Telegram), one must really introduce a soft adaptation course.
The second factor by ranking is misalignment with the command. It happens due to fault of the command, fault of subordinates, or fault of both. This should be resolved, including by simplifying transfers. Transfers, of course, won’t solve this problem, but they will give a chance for relief.
The current transfer system is still a slow hell. Even when both commanders (the one who releases and the one who accepts) agree, the system can block the transfer for months. And what about when we try to resolve a conflict in this way?
The third factor – money.
Perhaps some will be surprised, but soldiers need money because they have families. And the pennies they are paid now are a mockery that year after year becomes more painful and humiliating. I remind you that the size of monetary allowances has not really changed throughout the entire war, despite significant inflation in the country.
Nevertheless, in 2027 the year there is some hope, an increase in expenditures for this line item (+20%), has been laid into the draft state budget. If only these funds existed, if only this really amounted to an increase in monetary allowances. Let’s be optimistic, aiming for what once seemed impossible.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Дві ганьби України: як повернути сотні тисяч військових з СЗЧ". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
