The numerous military goods-trains which move along the railways of the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic very frequently fail to arrive at their destinations. The most usual reason for this is that certain military units intercept these goods-trains en route, regardless of their destinations, and take them for their own use. Such conduct is the worst sort of banditry, and is often equivalent to treason, since there have been many cases when active units have found themselves without arms or ammunition at a critical moment, merely because the supplies intended for them had been intercepted by somebody on the way.
I order that arbitrary seizure of army property is henceforth to be punished as the gravest crime against the state. Commanders and commissars of units guilty of arbitrary seizure will be subjected to severest punishment, on the same footing as bandits, regardless of all their previous services.
This order is to be presented for their signature, to all commanders and commissars of individual Units, and likewise to station commandants, for them to pass on to commanders of military trains.
Last updated on: 22.12.2006