On 19–20 May 2026 in Kyiv, 16 representatives of the Military Law Enforcement Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (MLES) participated in a training organised by the Council of Europe within the framework of the Project “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of Armed Forces in Ukraine”. The training aimed to strengthen the professional capacity of MLES personnel in applying international and national human rights standards in their daily work, with a particular focus on handling complaints and reports concerning alleged violations of the rights of military personnel.

The programme combined expert presentations, facilitated group work, practical exercises and moderated discussions focused on Council of Europe standards and mechanisms for the protection of the rights of military personnel. During the training, participants:

• Explored international approaches and Council of Europe standards related to the protection of the rights of military personnel;
• Analysed the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and the standards of Council of Europe monitoring bodies, including the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT);
• Worked in groups on identifying early risk indicators, including signs of isolation, conflicts within units and informal hierarchies;
• Developed practical tools, including risk matrices, response algorithms and checklists for commanders and MLES representatives;
• Participated in simulations of crisis scenarios and discussions on strengthening preventive mechanisms and internal coordination procedures.

The event was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe project “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of Armed Forces in Ukraine”, implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023–2026