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Thousands of servicemen who left their units without authorization received, in 2026, a real way to return to service without a verdict and a criminal record. The mechanism works, but it has conditions and deadlines, and the risks lie precisely in the details. We explain how it all works as of July 2026 and what to do step by step.
Yes, you can: in 2026 a simplified mechanism operates for servicemen who are in unauthorized absence. The state is directly interested in returning people to service rather than jailing them, so the Defense Forces launched a separate return program, and the Ministry of Defense and the Military Law and Order Service published official explanations.
Two things are important to understand. First: the return does not happen “automatically”, it is a procedure with an application, a check and reinstatement in service. Second: the simplified procedure has time limits. Under the current rules, a report can be submitted up to and including 20 September 2026, and the program itself is intended for those whose AWOL was recorded up to and including 12 June 2026. Although the deadlines have already been extended, you should not count on endless extensions.
There are two main routes: through the Army+ app and through the Military Law and Order Service.
Through Army+. In the app you go to the “Services” section, then “Reports”, then “Return to service after AWOL”, choose a new military unit from the list, indicate the branch of service, add documents and sign the report online. After the report is approved, the serviceman receives the status “En route” and 5 days to arrive at the chosen unit (48 hours for the National Guard). This route is convenient because it does not require appearing in person at the first step and makes it possible to choose a unit from the available list.
Through the VSP. You can appeal in person to the nearest body of the Military Law and Order Service. There the return is processed and you are directed to the place of further service. This route is more often chosen by those who do not have access to the app or who need documentary confirmation of the appeal here and now.
A separate question is where exactly to return. The current mechanism allows you not to return to the “old” unit with which the conflict arose, but to choose a new one from the list of available ones. The choice is limited to the structure in which you served before: the Armed Forces, the National Guard or the DSST. With a voluntary return under the program, reserve battalions (BREZ) are bypassed. For many this is the decisive argument.
An application in Army+ by itself does not close the criminal proceedings, but a voluntary return, under the conditions defined by law, gives grounds to avoid punishment or substantially soften it. The Supreme Court has formulated the conditions under which a serviceman who has voluntarily returned is released from liability: the key ones are the voluntariness of the return and the command’s consent to continue the service.
In practice this means: a properly processed return plus a competent position in the proceedings give a real chance to end the story without a verdict. We examined the elements of the offense and the lines of defense in detail in the article on Article 407 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and if you need support in a specific case, that is the profile of our military lawyer page.
And vice versa: ignoring the situation works against you. The proceedings do not “dissolve”, the length of the absence grows, and with it the risk of reclassification as desertion.
1 March 2026. From this date, an unauthorized abandonment of a unit or a failure to report for service without valid reasons for more than three days is considered a criminal offense. An absence of up to and including three days entails disciplinary liability, not criminal. This is a softening compared with the previous approach, when proceedings could be opened even for a shorter absence. But if the threshold is exceeded, under martial law the classification follows Part 4 or Part 5 of Article 407 of the Criminal Code, which is from 3 to 7 and from 5 to 10 years of imprisonment respectively.
12 June 2026. The cut-off date for the simplified return: the program is intended for servicemen whose AWOL was recorded up to and including 12 June 2026. If the absence was recorded later, you cannot use this procedure, and the path will be different.
20 September 2026. The last day on which a return report can be submitted. The program is designed for 100 days, and although the deadlines have already been extended, you should not count on a new extension.
So the date on which you actually left the unit, and the date on which the AWOL was recorded in the documents, have direct legal significance. They determine which return route is available, whether release from liability is possible and how to build the defense. If the situation is “on the edge” by dates, all the more reason not to act at random.
Step 1. Record your situation: the date of leaving the unit, the reasons (state of health, family circumstances, a conflict), the available documents. This is the basis both for the return and for the defense.
Step 2. Get a legal assessment. Before submitting the application you should understand: whether proceedings have been opened against you, at what stage they are, and what consequences your particular return scenario will have.
Step 3. Submit the application through Army+ or appeal to the VSP. Keep proof of the appeal: screenshots, numbers, dates.
Step 4. Go through the defined procedure and arrive at the chosen unit within the set time: after the report is approved, the status “En route” applies and 5 days to arrive (48 hours for the National Guard). From this moment you are back in service, and pay is restored. After enrollment, a guarantee applies: 6 months without transfer to another unit without your consent.
Step 5. Close the criminal side of the matter: motions and evidence of the voluntariness of the return in the proceedings, confirmation of the command’s consent. It is this step that most often requires a lawyer.
The earlier, the more options. A lawyer is definitely needed if: proceedings have already been opened against you or there was a summons to a DBR investigator; the AWOL in your case was recorded after 12 June 2026, meaning the simplified procedure is unavailable; there is a risk of classification under Article 408 of the Criminal Code (desertion); or the situation is complicated by an injury, a health condition or a conflict with the command that caused the AWOL.
The LEXON team supports servicemen at every stage: a legal assessment before the return, processing of documents, defense in proceedings under Articles 407 and 408 of the Criminal Code, and, if necessary, the question of the medical board (VLK) after the return. We work online throughout Ukraine, confidentially.
How many days of absence is considered a criminal offense?
Since 1 March 2026, a criminal offense under Article 407 of the Criminal Code is an unauthorized abandonment of a unit or a failure to report for service without valid reasons for more than three days. An absence of up to and including three days entails disciplinary liability. This does not mean “three days are allowed”: a disciplinary penalty also has consequences, and the count runs from the moment recorded in the unit’s documents, not from how you remember it.
Can I return to service if I have been in AWOL for a long time?
Mostly yes. The return mechanism through Army+ or the VSP is intended precisely for those who have been in AWOL for a long time. The date on which you left the unit and whether criminal proceedings have been opened are of key importance. This determines which route is available and what the consequences are.
Will I be jailed automatically when I show up?
No. A voluntary appeal through Army+ or to the VSP is not a detention. Under the conditions defined by law, a voluntary return gives grounds for release from liability or a significant softening. At the same time, every case is unique, so we advise first getting a legal assessment.
What about pay after the return?
After reinstatement in service, pay is also restored. For the period of unauthorized absence, payments are not accrued. The procedure for restoring payments depends on the unit you return to and correctly processed documents.
Can I choose a new unit instead of returning to the old one?
Yes. The right to independently choose a unit has been returned to servicemen in AWOL: in the report you choose a new unit from the list of available ones. The one restriction: you can choose within the structure you left (the Armed Forces, the National Guard or the DSST). With a voluntary return, reserve battalions are bypassed. That is why a return is often combined with a transfer to where the serviceman is ready to continue serving.
What if I am charged not with AWOL but with desertion (Article 408 of the Criminal Code)?
This is a fundamentally different situation: the sanctions are stricter, and the simplified return mechanisms are not designed for desertion. The line between Article 407 and Article 408 is a question of intent, and it is proven by evidence. In that case a defense lawyer is needed as soon as possible, before the first explanations.
This material is of an informational nature as of 28 July 2026 and is not legal advice. The rules on returning from AWOL and the case law change: before making decisions, check the current state of the legislation or seek a consultation on your specific situation.
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