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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
20 September is approaching, and yet another, the fourth (!) deadline in Ukrainian history for the simplified procedure of returning from voluntary absence of part (SZCh) kicks in.
The state does not betray itself. Is it not the most painful problem for the army that it tries to treat at the level of symptoms and consequences, not causes. It would be a sin to joke, but I will: in reality it would be worth simply decriminalizing SZCh, just introducing some fine for it, and thus it would simplify life for many. Because all these threatening criminal articles do not work even for one percent. No wonder in December 2025 of the year it was hidden statistics – both for SZCh and for the percentage of convictions under this article, because both numbers are two separate shames for Ukraine.
And in truth our reality is not far from a joke, because the first SZCh now envisions zero real punishment. But a huge headache for investigators, prosecutors, and judges who will work for years to issue a verdict. That’s one. And the second is that government institutions constantly propose simplifying the SZCh return procedure with no consequences for the person involved.
There have been previous deadlines. 1 January 2025 – the first legislative “window” for voluntary return from SZCh with guaranteed restoration of service and benefits. 1 March 2025 – a continuation of the same mechanism. 30 August 2025 – a new, expanded window by law, which also covered new SZCh cases. After each deadline a return remained possible, but no longer under the favorable regime.
By modest estimates, we have about 400 thousand or more SZCh cases, and not all of them can be investigated and verdicts issued by as many as five Ukrainian judicial systems together with the prosecutor’s office and the State Bureau of Investigation. So this is the fourth time the state raises its paws in complete inability to do something about it.
Regarding the root causes of this phenomenon. I remind you that most people flee at the training center stage, when those who come in en masse and psychologically unprepared fresh servicemen are being turned into infantrymen. Of course, for those who have fought for many years this sounds insulting, but in order to make today’s average non-veteran psychologically fit for the army (after all that pours from TikTok and Telegram), we really need to introduce a soft adaptation course.
The second-ranked factor is not aligning with command. This can happen due to the fault of the command, the fault of subordinates, or the fault of both. This should be addressed, in particular by simplifying transfers. Transfers, of course, will not 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 grants leave and the one who accepts) agree, the system can block the transfer for months. And what can we say when we try to resolve a conflict in this way?
The third factor is money. Some may be surprised, but soldiers need money because they have families. And the pennies they are paid now are a mockery that becomes more painful and humiliating year by year. I remind you that the amount of monetary allowance essentially did not change throughout the war, despite significant inflation in the country. However, for the 27 year there is some hope; a larger allocation to this item was included in the draft state budget by more than 20%+. If only this money were there, if only it really meant an increase in monetary allowance. Let’s be optimistic, strive for the (previous) impossible.
Photo: Ihor Lutsenko / Facebook
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Недарма статистика по СЗЧ прихована. Це ганьба для України". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Gordon.
