A new ritual will appear in Ukraine for defenders whose bodies could not be returned
Ukraine is introducing a procedure for conducting a military farewell ritual for fallen defenders whose traditional burial is impossible due to the absence of a body, remains, or ashes.
On Thursday, June 4, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed law 4875-IX amending the Law of Ukraine "On the Garrison and Guard Service Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" regarding the military farewell ritual. This concerns bill 15029.
The new law allows giving such persons proper military honors, including presenting the State Flag of Ukraine to relatives near cenotaphs — symbolic memorial structures.
As reported by the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper", the Verkhovna Rada supported the introduction of the military farewell ritual during the session on May 14. The bill was supported by 273 members of parliament.
The parliament explained that the document was developed for families of military personnel who defended Ukraine's sovereignty and were declared deceased by the court due to the absence of a body. Since the current statute provides for honors only during burial or reburial, the new document introduces a separate military farewell ritual.
Earlier, as reported by the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper", the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence recommended the parliament to consider bill No. 15029, which provides for updating the military farewell ritual.
The initiative aims to organize and modernize the ceremony by introducing Ukrainian military traditions. It concerns the proper state honoring of fallen Defenders — including involving an honor guard and the use of state symbols.
Previously, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the relevant bill "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine 'On the Garrison and Guard Service Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine' regarding the military farewell ritual."
What the bill changes
Currently, the Statute provides only for a military burial ritual — conducted during the burial or reburial of a fallen serviceman or police officer. However, during wartime, there are cases when a person goes missing, the body is not found, but the court declares them deceased. In such situations, burial is impossible, and therefore there are formally no grounds for military honors.
Bill No. 15029 proposes to eliminate this gap by introducing a separate procedure — the military farewell ritual. It will allow solemnly honoring the fallen even in the absence of a body.
How the ritual will take place
The document proposes to supplement the Statute with a new article 81-1, which defines the procedure for conducting the military farewell ritual. It will be held at the site of the cenotaph — a symbolic grave — for persons declared deceased by the court.
The decision to conduct the ritual will be made by the relatives or close ones of the deceased. If none exist, the relevant authority will be the garrison commander, the head of the Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support, or the head of the local state administration.
For the ceremony, a special unit — an honor guard — will be formed, consisting of:
- honor guard commander;
- military orchestra or bugler and drummer;
- farewell team;
- salute team;
- flag-bearing group with the State Flag of Ukraine.
During the ritual, the state flag will be unfolded, the "Honor" signal performed, three blank cartridge volleys fired, and the flag solemnly presented to the relatives of the deceased with an established formula.
The bill's authors emphasize that the new procedure will allow the state to give proper military honors to persons who defended Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, even if their bodies are not found.
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