The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has set the final deadline for the simplified procedure for returning to service for military personnel who have gone absent without leave (AWOL). According to RBC-Ukraine, citing the ministry, reports under this algorithm can be submitted until September 20, 2026, inclusive. Counting from the current date, soldiers have exactly 30 days left to take advantage of the simplified procedure and restore their service without undergoing the full cycle of checks.
Deadline and conditions of the simplified procedure
The simplified return procedure does not apply to everyone: it is valid exclusively for military personnel whose AWOL status was recorded before June 12, 2026, inclusive. This date became the cutoff, after which new cases will no longer fall under the simplified algorithm. Thus, the ministry is effectively closing the "window" for those who left their unit in the first half of summer 2026, giving them a final chance to return to the ranks on preferential terms, bypassing standard bureaucratic barriers.
How the transfer works: without unnecessary steps
The key advantage of the simplified procedure is the absence of intermediate links and additional checks. A soldier gets the opportunity to choose a new unit from more than 70 proposed options, after which the transfer is carried out directly: the serviceman is immediately sent to the new place of service with full restoration of all monetary payments and benefits. Essentially, the General Staff has removed "intermediate links" that previously delayed the process and created additional obstacles to returning.
The role of the "Army+" platform and new transfers
Parallel to the simplified return, the first simplified transfers through the "Army+" platform have launched within the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This mechanism allows soldiers to change units without the commander's consent within the limits of two army corps. As the Head of the Ministry of Defense explained, the digital platform has become a tool that simplifies and accelerates personnel movements, relieving some of the administrative pressure from immediate command and giving the serviceman more autonomy in choosing their place of service.
Soldiers' experience and the scale of the program
According to the ministry's assessment, thousands of military personnel have already gone through this path: they have returned to the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and continue to perform combat tasks in new units. In particular, soldiers from several formations who used the simplified algorithm have shared their experience and reasons for deciding to return to service. The Ministry of Defense has previously reminded about the September 20 deadline, emphasizing that after this date, it will be impossible to use the simplified procedure and restore service under the preferential algorithm.
