“On the Shield” Did Not Become Private Property: UKRNOVI Explains the Scandal
14 August 05:55
The nonprofit organization “Central Military Council” attempted twice to register the designation “ON THE SHIELD: Evacuation of the Fallen” as a trademark. Both applications were deemed withdrawn back in 2025, so the organization did not obtain exclusive rights to the name and emblem of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ humanitarian mission.
News of the applications caused a stir on social media due to the special significance of the words “On the Shield.” In the Ukrainian military, this phrase replaced the Soviet-era, impersonal designation “Cargo 200” and is used when the bodies of fallen defenders are returned home.
The Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation stated that the trademark will not be registered for the NGO “Central Military Council,” according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
Who Filed Applications for “On the Shield”
In 2025, the public organization “Central Military Council” filed two applications to register the combined designation “NA SHCHITI evacuation of the fallen”:
- No. m202502514 — filed on February 14, 2025;
- No. m202506457 — filed in April 2025.
The applications concerned not only the phrase but also a graphic image depicting clasped hands. A similar emblem is used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ humanitarian mission, which is responsible for the search, evacuation, and repatriation of the remains of fallen servicemen.
Information about the first application is available in the UKRNOVI Special Information System.
Daniil Shmatkov was listed as the applicant’s representative in the documents. He explained to journalists that at the time he was working with the law firm “4B Ukraine” and was handling the technical submission of the documents.
Why the trademark was not registered
Neither application completed the full registration process. UKRNOIVI requested additional documents, but the applicant did not provide them.
As a result, the proceedings were terminated:
- July 11, 2025—for one application;
- November 11, 2025—for the second application.
The applicant was notified that the documents were considered withdrawn. After that, no further examination was conducted.
“These applications did not and cannot result in trademark registration,” explained UKRNOIVI.
Therefore, the NGO “Central Military Council”:
- did not receive a trademark certificate;
- did not become the owner of the phrase “On the Shield”;
- did not obtain the right to prohibit others from using the designation;
- cannot demand payment for the use of the name based on these applications.
Could the applications have been reinstated in 2026?
In 2026, documents related to a change in representation and subsequent correspondence appeared in the case file.
However, UKRNOVI emphasized that proceedings on the two applications had been definitively terminated as early as 2025. They cannot serve as a basis for issuing a trademark certificate.
Filing an application does not yet mean registration
The appearance of information in the public application database does not mean that the trademark has already been registered or that exclusive rights have been granted to anyone.
The procedure involves several stages:
- Filing the application.
- Verification of the completeness of the documents.
- Conducting a formal examination.
- Verification of the mark’s compliance with the law.
- Decision on registration or refusal.
- Payment of applicable fees.
- Entry of the trademark into the state register.
In the case of “Na Shchiti,” the procedure was terminated before a full examination could be conducted because the applicant failed to provide the requested documents.
At the same time, the IP Office noted that even if the documents had been submitted, this would not have guaranteed registration. The mark still had to undergo an examination, following which the experts could have found legal grounds for refusal.
UKRNIVI Responded to Public Outrage
The IP Office stated that it cannot prohibit individuals or organizations from filing applications. At the same time, every mark must undergo examination.
The agency’s position is that it is unacceptable to use the following for commercial gain:
- the theme of the Russian-Ukrainian war;
- military symbols;
- the heroism of Ukrainian defenders;
- the memory of the fallen;
- socially significant symbols of the war.
How the name “Na Shchiti” Came About
The name was coined in 2022 as a more humane alternative to the Soviet term “Cargo 200.”
According to Tatyana Kepler, a volunteer and founder of the “Birds” charity project, the idea was based on an old saying about soldiers returning “with a shield or on a shield.” She suggested painting these words on a refrigerated truck that was transporting the bodies of the fallen.
Veteran Leonid Ostaltsev and a military surgeon with the call sign “Mörfi” also supported the adoption of the name. The custom font was created by artist Marisha Kepler, the volunteer’s mother.
In the summer of 2022, the humanitarian project “Evacuation 200” was renamed “On the Shield.” The name was endorsed by military leadership and later became a widely recognized symbol of the return of fallen defenders.
What is known about the “Central Military Council”
According to data cited by Suspilne with reference to YouControl, the nonprofit organization was registered in Kyiv in 2015. Oleksandr Serafymovych and Eduard Korobov are listed as its co-founders.
Serafimovich told reporters that he had long since handed over the organization’s documents to other people, is unaware of its current activities, and was not informed about the applications.
The representative through whose online account the documents were submitted also denied having had any personal contact with representatives of the NGO. At this time, there is no public explanation from the organization’s current leadership regarding the purpose of the registration.
