Ukraine wants to create a new military police force to prevent war crimes

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense is in the process of developing a draft law that will create a new military police force aimed at combating war crimes and maintaining discipline. 

The new organization will be based on the military law of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and it will be tasked with managing a number of key roles, Ukrainska Pravda reported. 

One of the most important roles of the new military police force will be the prevention and detection of war crimes based on military regulations and Ukraine’s criminal code. 

In an announcement by Ukraine's Defense Ministry on Telegram, it was noted that the military police force will take over pre-trial investigations of war crimes in war zones.  

The force will also be tasked with specialized operational and search activities as well as some oversight of the armed forces and the State Transportation Special Service. 

Ensuing law and order as well as discipline are the second main focus of the new police force and it will be in charge of several other important aspects of the country’s security. 

The announcement from the Ministry of Defense said the force would protect the rights of military personnel, handle executions and punishments, and protect state property. 

The new military police force’s law enforcement functions will be under the direct control of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and will be its own separate military formation. 

All of this was being done in an effort to build the structures needed in Ukraine’s military force to meet the standards of a North Atlantic Treaty Member (NATO) member state. 

Ukraine is hoping to join NATO in the near future and bringing its military police force in line with the alliance's standards is one big step the country needs to complete if it ever wants to become a member state.