The Ministry of Defence plans to introduce the mandatory use of body cameras in the Territorial Defence Forces: what will change
This is set out in the Ministry of Defence’s response to the recommendations of the Verkhovna Rada’s Temporary Investigation Commission; a copy of the document was published by the commission’s chair, Oleksiy Honcharenko.
What changes are being proposed?
The Ministry of Defence’s letter states that the TSC’s recommendation to extend the retention period for photo and video material from portable video recorders has already been accepted for implementation. The relevant amendments are being prepared for the Instructions on the Use of Technical Means of Video Recording used by the Temporary Investigation Commission and the Special Investigation Unit.
Furthermore, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has instructed that a separate set of instructions be drawn up, which will prohibit the switching off of body cameras during mobilisation activities on the premises of the TSK and SP, their separate units, and in the surrounding area.
The Ministry of Defence clarified that, in order to implement these recommendations, draft regulatory acts must be agreed with the relevant state bodies and undergo legal review. Once this work is complete, the Ministry will inform the Temporary Investigation Commission separately of the results.
Background
When publishing the document, the chair of the TSC, Oleksiy Honcharenko, stated that the issue of body camera use had been raised on numerous occasions during the commission’s meetings. According to him, members of the TSC had received reports of instances where cameras were allegedly switched off on the TSC’s premises, certain alert teams were operating without them, and video recordings had already been deleted. At the same time, Goncharenko expressed the view that the introduction of new rules would help prevent violations during mobilisation measures. This assessment reflects his personal position.
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