Ukrainian Youth Protest on Independence Square Against Several Bills: What Happened

Exclusive comments for DeTalks on the protest on Independence Square.

A first protest against bills No. 13260 and No. 13452 took place on Independence Square in Kyiv. Participants demanded that these initiatives not be passed, and called for the creation of a Military Ombudsman's Office. This was reported by a DeTalks correspondent on the scene.

What these bills, opposed by activists, aim to do, exactly what protesters are demanding from the authorities, and how large-scale the demonstrations are expected to become — the DeTalks team looked into it.

What Activists Oppose

The protesters' main demands are as follows.

• Repeal bill No. 13260, which increases penalties for servicemembers who leave their military unit without authorization (AWOL), and which the Verkhovna Rada passed in its first reading the day before the protest, on September 4;
• Don't pass bill No. 13452, which would increase penalties for servicemembers who fail to follow commanders' orders, and which hasn't yet been put to a vote;

• Pass the presidential bill on a military ombudsman, which the Verkhovna Rada received for review in May 2025.

Bill No. 13260, which activists oppose, would impose harsher penalties on servicemembers for leaving their unit without authorization or desertion. Under this law, courts would no longer be able to reduce sentences — servicemembers would bear full criminal liability.

Another bill — No. 13452 — is only awaiting its first reading in the Verkhovna Rada. It proposes a minimum sentence of 5 to 10 years in prison, or a suspended sentence, for knowingly refusing to follow a commander's order.

The military ombudsman bill, by contrast, has protesters' support. It calls for creating a special office under the President of Ukraine, which would carry out several key functions.

• Will review servicemembers' complaints;

• Will conduct inspections at military units in cases involving violations of servicemembers' rights;

• Will prepare findings and coordinate with other government bodies.

What Protesters Are Saying

Daniil Zenkin, 26

In an exclusive comment for DeTalks, 26-year-old activist Daniil Zenkin has described this as a recurring pattern, saying the authorities, for some reason, don't see the need to communicate with society.

He believes the authorities don't fully grasp the public mood, its needs, or the current situation, adding that they need to pay far more attention to what's happening in Ukrainian society.

Oleh Bondar, 18

18-year-old Kyiv School of Economics student Oleh Bondar agrees with this view.

He has recalled that Yermak once attempted a visit to KSE, where there was some dialogue and communication, though he suspects it left Yermak somewhat disappointed. Since he probably hadn't expected students to be so well-prepared and to hold such a consciously pro-Ukrainian stance, adding that he doesn't know what happens next, but that for now, the authorities are communicating very poorly.

The young man also notes that protests like these, against bills No. 13260 and No. 13452, need far more public attention.

He has said that last time, he saw news of the protest [against bill No. 12414] shared by everyone he knew, whether or not they were involved in volunteering, but that this time, it was shared only by volunteers actively voicing their position.

Who's going to come to rallies like this, if not young people?

Ivanna Malii, 22

"Urbanist blogger Ivanna Malii has described this bill as a turning point that, for many, raised the question of when they'll finally stop putting up with this, noting there had been many incidents where servicemembers' rights were disregarded, including the failure to pass the military ombudsman bill.

My motivation here is to defend servicemembers' rights, — the young woman adds. As for whether the protest can lead to results, she notes they've already seen how quickly things changed and got fixed before, since Volodymyr Zelensky and the Verkhovna Rada like being popular. She adds that it's noticeable the President tries to respond.

She has said she tries not to think about it, but that a lot of people showed up today, and that she thinks if a second gathering is announced, even more will come, adding that if she didn't believe this could make a difference, she wouldn't be standing there.