Ukraine is planning to create a military police, whose main tasks will be to stop war crimes and maintain discipline among the military.

The press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported on this.

Currently, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement is setting up a working group to create an optimal model of future military justice, including military police.

It is noted that the Main Department of Military Justice of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is actively involved in the development of the draft law on the military police of Ukraine.

The defense ministry adds that the military police is to become a military formation with law enforcement functions and will be part of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

The body will be formed on the basis of the Ukrainian Military Law Enforcement Service. It will be given certain powers of operational and investigative activities, as well as pre-trial investigation of war crimes (in war zones).

The purpose of the body is to maintain military discipline among the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense and the State Transport Special Service.

The draft law is currently undergoing the approval procedure.

The main tasks of the military police will be as follows:

• law enforcement activities to prevent, detect, and suppress war crimes in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and military regulations;
• operational and investigative activities;
• special prevention in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the State Transport Special Service;
• ensuring law and order and military discipline in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the State Transport Special Service;
• protection of the rights of military personnel;
• protection of state property;
• execution of sentences.

It is also envisaged to achieve compatibility of the Ukrainian military police with the relevant structures of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) member states.

The Armed Forces now have a Military Law Enforcement Service. This is a special law enforcement unit designed to ensure law and order and military discipline among the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The work of the unit is also aimed at preventing and stopping criminal and other offenses in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.