Ukraine military struggles with enforcing 15-day frontline rotation rule

Commanders are not complying with the commander-in-chief’s order limiting infantry rotations to a maximum of 15 days on the front line, she said.

“This is a dead norm that no one follows, which effectively means there are no limits at all,” Reshetylova said. “Some commanders do not feel responsible for the fact that their soldiers spend a year or more in dugouts and basements, often in semi-encircled conditions.”

The Office of the Military Ombudsman is conducting a large-scale study on the psychological condition of troops during prolonged frontline deployments. Preliminary findings show that after about 40 days on the front line, soldiers may develop apathy and become indifferent to whether they survive, she said.

“Every commander must take this into account,” Reshetylova said. “Anything beyond 40 days cannot be effective.”

Her office is preparing recommendations for the commander-in-chief to revise current guidelines on time spent at frontline positions, she added.

Ukraine officially launched the Office of the Military Ombudsman on Jan. 27, 2026, to review complaints from service members. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Reshetylova (Kobylynska) to the role in October 2025.