"Each Ukrainian soldier who fights for his country must obtain a combatant status, as provided by law. But it is inadmissible when government officials, after spending several hours in the anti-terrorist operation area, get the combatant status", said the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk at a Government meeting on Wednesday, January 14.

The Prime Minister instructed Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Pavlo Rozenko and Minister of Justice of Ukraine Pavlo Petrenko to prepare the appropriate amendments to the law, "He who defended the country with weapons in hands is an anti-terrorist operation member and, accordingly, a combatant. Whoever has fulfilled his duty as a civil servant in the area of the ATO and was commissioned by the Government as a public officer cannot be an ATO member".

Arseniy Yatsenyuk called unacceptable that deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Dmitro Isayenko "received an anti-terrorist operation member status, including on the purpose to avoid lustration".

The PM has introduced a proposal to dismiss deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Dmitro Isayenko from his post.

The Head of Government instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine “to investigate the fact of obtaining the status of the ATO member by the respective former official". He appealed to all members of the Cabinet of Ministers "to very carefully study all the materials that go through the Commission and to encourage to work with the Commission mass media and community members", "To ensure the one who has the right could receive the combatant certificate, and who has no right – should not even go to the Commission to obtain the certificate".