The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has clarified the terms and deadlines for the simplified program allowing servicemembers who left their unit without authorization (AWOL) to return to service. According to the department's clarification, provided to RBC-Ukraine, the report requesting a return must be submitted no later than September 20, 2026, inclusive. Until that date, servicemembers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service, and the National Guard whose AWOL status was recorded on or before June 12, 2026, inclusive, may use the simplified mechanism and resume service without going through the Military Law Enforcement Service (MLES) or a reserve battalion. The key advantage of the program is the right to independently choose the unit and the direction of further service.
Who qualifies for the simplified procedure and what benefits it offers
The program is aimed at three categories of servicemembers: personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service, and the National Guard. The mandatory condition is that the date of the recorded unauthorized departure from the unit must fall on or before June 12, 2026, inclusive. Those who submit their report by September 20 can choose a specific unit and direction of service at their own discretion, bypassing the standard assignment procedures through the MLES or the reserve. This significantly shortens the bureaucratic path and allows a soldier to return to a combat or service unit more quickly.
Returning to service does not automatically terminate the criminal case
The Ministry of Defense specifically emphasized: the mere fact of returning to service does not mean the automatic closure of a criminal case or the termination of the procedural investigation. The question of exemption from criminal liability is resolved separately and in the manner established by law. A servicemember who committed AWOL for the first time has the right to voluntarily petition the investigator, prosecutor, or court with an intention to return to service. In addition, written consent from the unit commander to extend service is required. The final decision on exemption from criminal liability is made exclusively by the court. Thus, the simplified program streamlines the administrative part of the return but does not automatically remove the legal consequences.
How to check your AWOL status in the "Armiya+" app
To check whether an absence from service has been recorded, a servicemember only needs to open the "Armiya+" app. If AWOL is registered, a red banner with the text "Absence from service recorded" will appear on the screen with the military document. If the status is not displayed, the department recommends updating the app, logging out and re-logging in, or waiting 15 minutes. If the problem persists, contact the nearest zonal office of the Military Law Enforcement Service for manual verification of the data.
Additional mechanism: simplified transfers via "Armiya+"
In parallel with the AWOL return program, the first simplified transfers via the "Armiya+" app have been launched in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The new mechanism allows soldiers to change units without the commander's approval within the limits of two army corps. This complements the simplified return program and gives servicemembers additional flexibility in choosing their place of service, without going beyond the two corps formations.
Contradictory data
No significant discrepancies in the key dates and conditions of the program were found in the provided sources. RBC-Ukraine and Gazeta.ua unanimously point to the September 20, 2026 deadline and the threshold date for recording AWOL — June 12, 2026. At the same time, the source fraza.com raises a related but different question: whether the concept of AWOL applies to persons who have not yet taken the military oath. This aspect is not addressed in the Ministry of Defense's clarification on the simplified program and requires separate legal qualification, although it does not contradict the main conditions of the return procedure.
