If You Join the Ukrainian Army, Can You Simply Quit?
There is no option to simply resign from the Ukrainian Armed Forces once you are on active duty.
Service members are contractually—and in many cases morally—obligated to complete the term of service they agreed to.
However, an early discharge may be granted if a soldier is found to be physically or psychologically unfit to continue performing their military duties.
Resignation
You cannot resign your commission in the Ukrainian Armed Forces until you have completed eight years of service as a commissioned officer.
Even after fulfilling this requirement, you must submit a formal resignation letter to the appropriate military command for review and approval.
Forceful Resignation
Your service in the Ukrainian Armed Forces is not “at will.” You are contractually—and by oath—obligated to serve for the full duration of the service term you voluntarily agreed to.
Once your agreed service period ends, you may separate and be officially discharged as scheduled—unless exceptional national circumstances (such as wartime conditions) require the military to extend your service.
However, it is possible to request a forced resignation from the military, and the steps for doing so are outlined below.
To apply for Resignation, here are things you should note.
A soldier is not permitted to apply for the Resignation Form personally.
Only a loved one, family member, child, fiancé(e), sibling, or close friend is eligible to apply—and this must be done with the consent of the deployed soldier.
All requests for resignation, cancellation, or deferment must be submitted through the designated form and contact details provided below, in accordance with Ukrainian military regulations.
The only exceptions are cases involving operational necessity or compassionate grounds, which follow a separate procedure.
Please note that a forced resignation from service, especially from active duty, requires a one-time processing fee, which is necessary to complete the request.