Ukraine offers AWOL troops a choice of more than 70 military units

Service members may select a unit within the same organization in which they previously served, the ministry said on Friday, July 31.

The available options include mechanized, assault, airborne, drone, artillery and other units. The full list of brigades accepting returning service members is available on the program’s official website and when submitting a report through the Army+ app.

The number of available positions in some fields is limited, the ministry said. Service members who have already chosen a unit, area of service and preferred position should therefore submit their reports without delay.

The program allows returning service members to select a new unit from an approved list, indicate their preferred area of service and describe their previous experience.

Participants will also receive assistance from a contact center and may report directly to their new unit without first going through the Military Law Enforcement Service or a reserve battalion.

Service members cannot be transferred to another military unit without their written consent for six months after joining their selected unit.

The program is open to members of the Armed Forces, National Guard and State Special Transport Service whose unauthorized absence was recorded on or before June 12, 2026.

Reports may be submitted through Sept. 20, 2026, in the following ways:

— through the Army+ app;

— directly to a military unit, for members of the Armed Forces and State Special Transport Service;

— through the Armed Forces’ 1st or 2nd recruitment center, for Armed Forces personnel.

Ukraine officially launched a 100-day period on June 13 during which service members who had left their units without authorization could voluntarily return to the Defense Forces, the Defense Ministry said.