Advocate+ in the brigades: initial results of the pilot project presented

The initial results of the «Advocate+» pilot project were presented in Vinnytsia; under this project, advocates are assigned to military units to provide legal assistance to service members and their families.

On April 9, the UNBA Committee on the protection of victims of armed aggression against Ukraine, compensation mechanisms and European integration legal support for recovery held an off-site meeting. Discussions focused on work within the brigades, cooperation with the Coordination headquarters on the treatment of prisoners of war, and a practical guide for military personnel.

Representatives of the legal community, regional military administrations, the Coordination headquarters on the treatment of prisoners of war, the Military Medical Clinical Center, appellate courts, district administrative courts, municipal courts, and the business community participated in the event.

Committee chairman Andriy Yermak announced that «Advocate+» has become the first major project of the newly established Committee. According to him, the goal is to ensure that military personnel in every unit have access to a qualified advocate who can provide initial legal assistance and help protect their rights in specific situations. He noted that Committee members have already visited the first three pilot brigades, where practical work has begun and consultations are being provided. The Committee chairman also said that the first month is set aside for testing the model, after which the Committee plans to create an electronic platform that will simplify military personnel’s access to consultations and enable the development of standardized responses to common questions.

During the meeting, it was noted that this format has proven to be in demand among both the service members themselves and the command. Inquiries concern not only military service but also civilian issues that remain relevant for service members and their families: documents, credit obligations, social issues, obtaining combatant status, discharge, payments, representation in court, or defense in criminal proceedings. Support for the families of missing-in-action personnel and prisoners of war was discussed separately.

Committee members also presented the first practical guide for military personnel. It contains step-by-step instructions for typical situations: which documents to keep, which to collect, and how to proceed to obtain status, benefits, medical leave, or establish a causal link between an injury and the defense of the homeland. The Committee expects this material to be useful for both military personnel and advocates working on such cases.