“Pravova derzhava”. Issue 36 (2025), pages 567–576.

DOI: 10.33663/0869-2491-2025-36-567-576

Landina Anna
Military violent criminal offenses: concepts and features of qualification

Introduction. The negative consequences of violent criminal offenses go far beyond the total damage resulting from their commission, since it is practically impossible to compensate for the damage caused, because it concerns the most important social values. In the conditions of active hostilities and martial law in Ukraine, issues related to criminal liability for military criminal offenses have become particularly relevant. Among them, a special place is occupied by military violent criminal offenses, the number of which has increased significantly over the last decade.

The aim of the article. The aim of this study was to define the concept and qualifying features of military violent criminal offenses.

Results. It was established that the concept of military violent criminal offenses is formed from two components: the features of a violent criminal offense provided for in the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and the features of the person committing these crimes — a serviceman. The specificity of these criminal offenses is determined by the “special” illegality (military criminal), since when they are committed, the norms of criminal and military legislation are simultaneously violated.

Conclusions. It is proposed to understand a military violent criminal offense as an intentional socially dangerous criminally punishable act (action or inaction) that encroaches on the order of social relations in the field of ensuring human health and life and is committed against the will of the victim by means of the use or threat of use of physical, mental, sexual or economic violence by a serviceman, conscript or reservist. The subjects of military violent criminal offenses can be servicemen, conscripts and/or reservists. Their main object is the order of military service. Military violent criminal offenses are qualified by the articles included in Sections ХІХ and ХХ and do not require additional qualification under other articles of the Criminal Code. Along with criminal liability, disciplinary liability may be applied to military personnel. This study opens up prospects in the field of bringing to justice for military criminal offenses.

Key words: military criminal off enses, war crimes, war crimes, violent criminal off enses, martial law, military personnel, conscripts, reservists, subject of a criminal off ense, military legislation, criminal liability, disciplinary liability, object of a criminal off ense, physical inviolability, mental inviolability

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