DBR director renews request for legislative changes on unauthorized absence cases
Published · Updated
What happened
State Bureau of Investigation director Oleksii Sukhachov said on 10 September that the bureau had appealed to relevant Rada committees for legislative amendments on unauthorized absence cases and had again proposed giving the Military Law Enforcement Service pre-trial investigative authority over such offenses.
Why it matters
The proposal names a legislative mechanism and a chain of actors — Rada committees, prosecutors, the DBR, and the Military Law Enforcement Service — for changing how Ukraine processes a large class of military offense cases. If parliament advances or stalls the changes, it will shape case loads, prosecutorial practice, and command-level handling of returning personnel.
On 10 September, State Bureau of Investigation director Oleksii Sukhachov said the bureau had asked relevant Verkhovna Rada committees to support legislative changes on unauthorized absence and related military offenses. He said the proposed changes would allow prosecutors to close cases when service members return and would grant the Military Law Enforcement Service pre-trial investigative powers over those offenses. The next path runs through committee handling and then legislation, making this a live institutional test rather than a settled administrative issue.
Watch for
Verkhovna Rada committee agenda publication on 2026-09-25 or 2026-09-26 listing draft changes on unauthorized absence or related military offenses State Bureau of Investigation publication by 2026-09-28 releasing bill language or a formal appeal to the relevant Rada committees Verkhovna Rada leadership or профильний committee confirmation by 2026-09-28 that Military Law Enforcement Service investigative powers will be reviewed in committee No committee registration or agenda item from the Verkhovna Rada on these amendments by 2026-09-28
Sources
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