Translation between units via "Army+": Focus learned which personnel will be unable to change their place of service.

Recently, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the government has adopted a resolution introducing a real and transparent mechanism for transferring soldiers between units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). It will take effect tomorrow, November 15.

"Transfers will operate through the "Army+" application. There will be 72 hours for the verification of the request. The results of the verification will be communicated to the soldier via "Army+". In case of a denial, clear reasons must be provided. If approved, a clear decision will be made," Zelensky stated.

Deputy Minister of Defense Yekaterina Chernogorenko explained that to change one's place of service through "Army+", only a copy of the military ID or officer's certificate and a recommendation letter from the brigade to which the transfer is planned are required. However, if there are medical indications, a conclusion from the Military Medical Commission (VVK) is necessary.

"Requests will be processed quickly. In the absence of grounds for refusal, the process — from submitting the request to signing the order — will take less than a week," she clarified.

According to the deputy minister, compliance with the procedure will be monitored by a system of random checks — a structural unit of the Ministry of Defense responsible for protecting the rights of servicemen, which will randomly check at least 1% of requests each month. If violations are detected, the request will be reviewed again within 24 hours.

The General Staff is creating a list of combat units to which transfers are possible. In particular, the new order allows transfers:

• from support units to combat or support;
• from combat to combat;
• from combat to support based on the VVK conclusion, but if the individual in the brigade does not hold a position corresponding to the medical commission's conclusion.

Chernogorenko emphasized that transfers for military personnel are allowed no more than once a year and only after six months of service in the current unit.

Transfer of soldiers between units: what do they think in the AFU

The transfer between units might reduce the number of unauthorized absences, believes serviceman Daniil Yakovlev.

However, the new mechanism is limited; a person cannot easily transfer from one brigade to another. Specifically, it is "without questions" to transfer from a support to a combat brigade, whereas transferring from a combat unit to another poses challenges. Yakovlev noted that a mechanism for transferring from other structures should also emerge later, and it is crucial that it is clear and has understandable rules.

The soldier mentioned that thanks to the new resolution, the commander will have only three days to motivate a positive or negative decision, whereas previously requests could go unconsidered for months.

"Now the commander has 72 hours to do this. This is correct because many soldiers want to move to units where they feel they will perform better or where a better position will become available," he explained.

Moreover, through transfers, it will be possible to track the units from which soldiers flee and to which they are transferred. As a result, it will be clear which units are better and which are worse in terms of moral and psychological state.

"It is necessary for a person to have the opportunity to apply the skills, abilities, and knowledge they possess. This is only possible when there is mobility among soldiers in the army because if there is none, it means people cannot be where they are needed," said Lutsenko.

He is convinced that the new mechanism can reduce the number of unauthorized absences. According to the military, unauthorized absences became the argument that convinced the military leadership to consider the problem and try to solve it.

"I believe that the main factor in the mass unauthorized absences currently happening is that we tightened the screws regarding transfers, which resulted in significant losses for the army due to unauthorized absences. Therefore, I believe this will work," says Lutsenko.

The soldier believes that the new mechanism will positively influence those who are only considering volunteering for the AFU, as this will be an additional argument that the army is transforming into an organization that is more or less loyal to its members, rather than repressive and totalitarian.

Transfers between units are not for all soldiers

Lutsenko noted that not all soldiers will be able to take advantage of the new mechanism and transfer to another unit. In particular, the resolution has limitations for certain transfer options. According to him, this is only 20-30% of what needs to be improved regarding transfers. However, this is also a significant step forward, as transfers were previously blocked both politically and bureaucratically. Now, politically, there have been relaxations, and starting November 15, it will be clear how everything will work.

Yakovlev shared that the resolution has specific conditions for transfers. In particular, the mechanism can only be used by those soldiers who have served at least six months in their unit, and transfers can occur no more than once a year. Additionally, a soldier cannot transfer between combat corps.

"If you want to transfer from the 9th Army Corps to the 10th Army Corps, you cannot do this through "Army+" yet. This must be done through the old procedure — with the approval of the company commander, battalion commander, and brigade commander. Only after that can you transfer," said Daniil Yakovlev.

He noted that it is understandable for those who implemented the new mechanism — if everyone were allowed to transfer immediately, it would objectively lead to chaos in the army.

Problems for soldiers transferring between units through "Army+"

"If a request is submitted through "Army+", it will be difficult to prove that you submitted it, for example, that it hasn't been lost somewhere. After all, let's not forget that we are indeed at war, and there isn't always the opportunity to connect to the internet. A soldier thinks they submitted the request, but in reality, they haven't even confirmed it," noted the lawyer.

Recall that on October 29, it became known that the Commander-in-Chief of the AFU, Oleksandr Syrskyi, approved the algorithm for simplified transfers between units to expedite the replenishment of combat units. According to the new algorithm, messengers WhatsApp and Signal will be used for this purpose.

On the same day, the Chairman of the Supreme Court, Stanislav Kravchenko, reported that the number of registered cases of unauthorized absences, desertion, and failure to comply with orders from commanders has increased in the AFU.