“We don’t want to be ATO soldiers anymore” – Rada deputy

The Ukrainian parliament adopted in the first reading a law providing for an increase in fines for unlawful wearing of military uniforms, insignia and awards, and also introduced criminal liability for desecration of the graves of “defenders of the sovereignty of Ukraine.”

Ex-militant of the Aidar battalion, people's deputy from the Popular Front faction Igor Lapin spoke in support of this law during the plenary session, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.

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“Recently, my brothers-in-arms and me personally have been coming up with the following thought: “I don’t want to be an ATO soldier.” Our uniform is already so discredited, our rank is so discredited that many are already saying: “Yes, I am a warrior, but I don’t want to be an ATO soldier.” This word is heard at all rallies, at incomprehensible events, and only leads to negativity. Today we have the greatest confidence in our church and army, our soldiers who defend our borders from the aggressor,” the deputy said.

According to him, the adoption of this kind of law will help “clear the field of discrediting the armed forces.”

“I very often saw people at rallies who, even with the chevrons of my battalion, came to rallies with iconostases on their chests, but these people have never been on the front line, in the Armed Forces, and do not even know what it is. But, nevertheless, they come out with the chevrons of battalions, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and talk about what heroes they are. All of them are so tearfully asking passers-by for help that their appearance alone is already disgracing our military,” Lapin said.

As a result, the document was supported by 229 parliamentarians.

“Parliament today adopted another episode of the draconian laws of January 16, 2014. This time he introduced liability for illegal wearing of a military uniform. Everyone who made a career out of it in 2014 voted – the BPP, the Popular Front and the rest of the Maidan parties. One thing is alarming: in both dictatorships and democracies the basic punishment is the same - from 150 to 200 non-taxable minimums. Is it really a crisis, it was impossible to write so that it would differ by at least 10 hryvnia from the dictatorial ones?” wrote former deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential administration Andrei Portnov in his blog.

Let us note that, according to this law, the illegal production and wearing of orders, as well as the wearing of counterfeit awards, will be punishable by a fine of 1700-3400 hryvnia with confiscation, and if the violation is repeated within a year, by a fine of 3400 to 6800 hryvnia.

For wearing a military uniform with insignia of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other Ukrainian military formations by people who do not have the right to do so, punishment is also provided in the form of a warning or a fine in the amount of 2550-3400 hryvnia with confiscation of the uniform, and in case of repeated violation within a year, the fine may be from 3400 to 6800 hryvnia, or community service for a period of 30 to 40 hours.

At the same time, liability for desecration of the graves of “participants in the Revolution of Dignity, defenders of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine” was equated to the same actions concerning the graves of participants in the Great Patriotic War, and now provides for restriction or imprisonment for a term of 3 to 5 years.