**New Position Created to Protect Soldiers’ Rights**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Olha Reshetylova as the country‘s first military ombudsman. This new position was created by Ukraine’s Defense Ministry in April to ensure soldiers have a way to report any violations of their rights.
**Responsibilities of the Military Ombudsman**
The military ombudsman will be responsible for:
* Listening to complaints and concerns from service members
* Providing initial legal advice
* Conducting investigations into potential rights abuses
* Checking up on how well soldiers’ rights are being protected
**Experience of Olha Reshetylova**
Reshetylova has a strong background in human rights. She previously co-founded and headed the Media Initiative for Human Rights, which investigates war crimes related to the Russian war in Ukraine.
She also helped create Come Back Alive, one of Ukraine’s largest civilian fundraising organizations that buys military equipment for Ukraine’s army.
**President Zelensky’s Statement**
“Olha is a well-known, experienced, and effective Ukrainian human rights activist. She has already done a lot to build our state institutions and support Ukrainians,” President Zelensky said in his statement.
Now, the main task is to create a law that outlines how the military ombudsman position will work and what kind of support it will need to be effective.
**Recent Allegations of Abuse**
There have been recent allegations of abuse within Ukraine’s army. The 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade was mentioned in these allegations, which led to increased calls for someone to be appointed as the military ombudsman to investigate these claims and prevent future abuses from happening.
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