Desertion Plaguing Ukrainian Army, Straining War Effort
KYIV, Ukraine – Desertion is draining the Ukrainian army of desperately needed manpower and crippling its battle plans at a critical time in its war with Russia, potentially putting Kyiv at a disadvantage in future ceasefire talks.
According to soldiers, lawyers, and Ukrainian officials, tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops, tired and demoralized, have abandoned their posts and slid into anonymity. Entire units have deserted, leaving defensive lines vulnerable and accelerating territorial losses, say military commanders and soldiers.
Many soldiers who go AWOL never return, haunted by the traumas of war and demoralized by bleak prospects for victory. Others clash with commanders and refuse to carry out orders, sometimes in the middle of firefights.
The scale of desertion is staggering, with over 100,000 soldiers charged under Ukraine’s desertion laws since Russia invaded in February 2022. Nearly half of these desertions have occurred in the last year alone, following a mobilization drive that government officials and military commanders concede has largely failed.
The problem is critical, according to military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko, who notes that the problem will only worsen. “This is the third year of war, and this problem will only grow.”
Moscow has also faced desertions, but the scale of the problem in Ukraine is laying bare deeply rooted problems bedeviling the Ukrainian military, from flawed mobilization to overstretching and hollowing out front-line units. The situation comes as the U.S. urges Ukraine to draft more troops, including those as young as 18.
Soldiers who spoke to the Associated Press reported feeling exhausted, psychologically and emotionally scarred, and guilt-ridden about their inability to complete their duties. “I do not condemn any of the soldiers from my battalion and others… Because everyone is just really tired,” said an officer from the 72nd Brigade.
Charging deserters with crimes is not common, with prosecutors and the military preferring not to prosecute. However, defending deserters in court can be challenging, with lawyers often arguing that the soldiers were driven to desertion by psychological trauma.
The scale of the problem is also taking a toll on the military’s ability to defend against Russian attacks. In one case, an entire battalion was left vulnerable to attack because its members had gone AWOL, said a military commander. “When one of the battalions withdrew, its members were gunned down because they didn’t know no one was covering them,” he said.
With the war’s toll mounting, Ukraine’s military is struggling to keep up, leaving it ill-equipped to respond to further aggression from Russia. As one lawyer put it, “the percentage of deserters has grown exponentially every month.”
