In the first 10 months of this year, more soldiers deserted from the Ukrainian Defense Forces than in the previous two years of the war. This is reported by The Financial Times, reports UNN.
Details
According to the FT, from January to October of this year, Ukrainian prosecutors opened 60,000 cases against soldiers for unauthorized abandonment of positions, which is almost twice as many as in 2022 and 2023 combined. If found guilty, they face up to 12 years in prison.
The FT cites as an example hundreds of infantrymen from the 123rd brigade, who at the end of October voluntarily returned from Ugledar to the Mykolaiv region and began to publicly demand more weapons. According to local authorities, some of the deserters have since returned to the front, others have fled, and several people are in custody.
On average, about 12 people flee military training camps in Poland every month, one Polish security official said on condition of anonymity.
According to military analysts, Ukraine's inability to ensure rotation and give rest to military personnel tired at the front leads to losses and scares away those who otherwise could have been called up, the article says.
An officer in the 123rd Brigade told The Financial Times that there was no rotation in his unit during the three years of war.
Although the Armed Forces of Ukraine number about 1 million people, only about 350,000 take part in the fighting. Exhausted soldiers - both infantrymen and attack aircraft-make up the majority of cases of desertion, says an official of the General Staff of Ukraine.
Due to Russia's rapid advance on the eastern front, analysts warn that Ukraine is losing territory that it may not be able to regain in the near future. The Institute for the study of war, a Washington-based think tank, estimates that Russia will capture 2,700 square kilometers in 2024, compared to only 465 square kilometers last year.
recall
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed Law No. 12095, according to which those liable for military service who left military units or deserted for the first time can voluntarily return to service.
Military personnel who for the first time voluntarily left the unit or deserted can return to service until 2025. Upon his return, the commander has 72 hours to renew the contract, and the criminal proceedings will be closed.