Draft bill #11479 of August 14, 2024 

Sponsor: the Cabinet 

Status: sent for review to the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada on Social Policy and Veterans’ Rights Protection 

Who is affected: veterans, family members of deceased veterans and defenders, and the Cabinet 

Summary: the bill provisions that statuses of veteran, family member of a deceased veteran or defender can be revoked in the following cases: 

  • a person is found guilty by a court of committing a crime against the fundamentals of national security of Ukraine, against peace, human security, or international order. If a person intentionally committed a grave or special grave crime 
  • if it is discovered that the documents based on which the person was granted the relevant status were forged or contained false information 
  • if the person voluntarily submits an application rejecting their status. 

What is right: the bill defines clear rules with the legal grounds for revocation of statuses of veteran, family member of a deceased veteran or defender 

What is wrong: 

  • if a person commits a crime (except for crimes against national security, rules of military service, security of mankind, and international order), it does not negate the fact that this person participated in the defense of the homeland and is a veteran. Therefore, committing other crimes cannot be grounds for revoking veteran status 
  • a crime committed by a family member of a deceased veteran or defender does not negate the fact that the deceased family member participated in the defense of the state and therefore cannot be grounds for revoking the status of a family member of a deceased veteran or defender. 

Alternative solution: 

  • separate the grounds for revocation of veteran status and the status of a family member of a deceased veteran or defender 
  • exclude the crimes, except for crimes against national security, military service regulations, security of mankind, and international order, from the list of grounds for revocation of veteran status 
  • exclude the clause about crimes committed by a person granted a status of a family member of a deceased veteran or defender. 

Additional information: 

  • Ok, So What? podcast, ep.163: Instead of convenient services, veterans will be given assistants.