Almost 200 servicemen have already submitted requests to return from AWOL via ’Army+’ app, - Fedorov
Within a few days of the ‘Quick Return from Unauthorised Absence from Unit’ (AWOL) feature being operational in the ‘Army+’ app, nearly 200 service personnel submitted reports, 51 of which were approved.
This was announced by Ukraine’s Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorov, according to Censor.NET.
The return of the troops
According to him, the mechanism for a swift return to service via ‘Army+’ is already in place. Service personnel can choose a new unit themselves from the list of Defence Forces units, submit an application online and receive support at every stage of their return.
"In just a few days, nearly 200 requests to return from AWOL have already been submitted via Army+. Of these, 51 have been approved, and the servicemen have been given the opportunity to continue their service in their chosen units", added Fyodorov.
One such serviceman is a soldier with the call sign Gor. Whilst being in AWOL, he made use of the return mechanism via ‘Army+’, chose a new unit and, following approval of his report, returned to active duty. He spoke about this in a video.
What led up to it?
- As a reminder, on 12 June, the Ministry of Defence launched a new programme: for a period of 100 days — from 12 June to 20 September — military personnel who have left the service without authorisation may voluntarily return to a unit of their own choosing, with their pay reinstated.
- The day before, Defence Minister Mstyslav Banik announced that 80 transfer requests had been submitted during this period, 22 of which had been approved. "In just a few days, nearly 200 requests to return from the reserve forces have already been submitted via Army+. Of these, 51 have been approved, and the servicemen have been given the opportunity to continue their service in their chosen units," added Fedorov.
