Zelenskyy signs decree appointing human rights defender Olha Reshetylova (Kobylinska) as military ombudsman

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree appointing Olha Reshetilova (Kobylinska) as the Presidential Commissioner for the protection of the rights of military personnel and family members of soldiers.

"Olha is a well–known, experienced and effective human rights defender. She has already done a lot for the development of our state institutions, for the support of Ukrainians," Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram channel on Monday.

According to him, the main task now is, together with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and civil society, to prepare a draft law on the military ombudsman and all the necessary systemic foundations for the work of this institution.

"Our soldiers must receive effective tools to protect their rights and there must be a real modernization of human management in the Ukrainian Defense Forces. I am grateful to everyone who helps in this," the President noted.

Olha Reshetylova (Kobylinska) is a human rights activist. In 2014, she became a co-founder of the volunteer foundation Come Back Alive.

In 2016, she became a co-founder of NGO Media Initiative for Human Rights.

Since 2019, Reshetilova has been working for the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union.