In Dnipro, a 17-year-old orphan girl was left without her only legal guardian after the man was mobilized and sent to a training ground. The Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Dnipropetrovsk region is already clarifying the circumstances of the situation. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported this, according to UNN.
Details
According to Lubinets, the 17-year-old girl was waiting at home for her guardian, but he did not return. Later, the man called her and said that he was being taken to a territorial recruitment and social support center.
The girl went to the recruitment center herself to provide documents and explain that the man was her guardian. However, he was no longer there, as the Ukrainian man had already been sent to a training ground.
Imagine this child's state: the person who is legally responsible for her simply disappears from home, and she is forced to search for him herself at recruitment centers to prove who he is to her. Tell me: how can this happen?
The Ombudsman emphasized that the need for mobilization does not cancel the state's obligation to ensure the rights of minors.
He also drew attention to the problem of informing the relatives of persons liable for military service after they arrive at a recruitment center, undergo a military medical commission, and are sent to military units.
A person may end up at a recruitment center, undergo a military medical commission, and be sent to a military unit — while their relatives may not understand where they are or what has happened to them. This should not be the case. And this is far from an isolated problem. It cannot be accepted as normal
Lubinets's representative in Dnipropetrovsk region, Oleksii Urlatkin, is already handling the situation. The Commissioner's Office sent inquiries to the Left-Bank Children's Services of the Dnipro City Council and the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center.
According to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, it is necessary to establish who and how ensured the minor's rights after her only guardian joined the military. The girl is currently living with her grandmother. At the same time, the Ombudsman noted that the mere fact of caring for a child does not grant the grandmother the status of her legal representative.
If something happens to the child, who will represent her interests and who will bear responsibility for it?
In his view, this situation points to systemic problems that require immediate correction.
If the state does not know who will be responsible for such a child tomorrow, this is no longer merely one family's problem. It is a problem with the system
Context
Under Ukrainian legislation, guardianship is established over children aged 14 to 18, while custody is provided for younger children. Guardianship is one of the forms of placement for orphaned children and children deprived of parental care, and it is intended, in particular, to ensure the protection of their rights and interests.
At the same time, the Law of Ukraine "On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization" provides the right to a deferment for guardians and custodians who have an orphaned child or a child deprived of parental care under the age of 18 in their care. This provision is contained in Article 23 of the document.
Therefore, if the man in Dnipro officially has the status of guardian of the 17-year-old girl and she is dependent on him, he belongs to the category of persons liable for military service who have the right to a deferment from mobilization.
At the same time, it is currently unknown what documents he had when the mobilization was processed, whether an application for a deferment was submitted, and on what grounds the recruitment center decided to send him to a military unit. These are precisely the circumstances that must be clarified following inquiries from the Ombudsman's Office.
The issue of the child's legal representation also remains separate. The mere fact that, after the guardian's mobilization, the girl is living with her grandmother does not mean that the elderly woman automatically became the girl's legal guardian.
Guardianship is established following a corresponding decision by the authorized body, while children's services and guardianship and custody authorities ensure the placement of and protection of the rights of orphans and children deprived of parental care.
Reminder
Let us remind you that in July 2026, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets appealed to the Lviv Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center over the death of a serviceman who died the day after mobilization. The family found numerous hematomas and injuries on his body, while cardiomyopathy was cited as the cause of death.