As the conflict in Ukraine approaches its third year, foreign media reports indicate that nearly 60,000 Ukrainian troops have deserted the battlefield since the beginning of this year.
According to the British Financial Times (FT) on Sunday, Ukrainian prosecutors have charged approximately 60,000 soldiers who abandoned their posts between January and October of this year.
This figure is about double the number of deserters recorded from 2022 and 2023. Despite the threat of up to 12 years imprisonment under Ukrainian law for those found guilty, desertions continue to rise.
While the Ukrainian military has about 1 million soldiers, only 350,000 are currently on active duty. Military officials report that most deserters come from combat units, primarily infantry and assault troops.
In late October, hundreds of infantry soldiers from the 123rd Brigade, deployed in the eastern city of Bakhmut, abandoned their positions and returned to their homes in Mykolaiv. Some even publicly protested, citing a need for more weapons and training.
A 123rd Brigade officer stated, “We arrived in Bakhmut with only automatic rifles. Command promised 150 tanks, but only 20 were available, and we had absolutely nowhere to hide.”
Local authorities report that some deserters from the 123rd Brigade have since returned to the front lines. Others remain unaccounted for, with a few in pre-trial detention.
The surge in desertions is worsening Ukraine’s already challenging position on the battlefield.
Since this summer, Russia has intensified its offensives, rapidly expanding its control over territories along the eastern front. Military analysts note that Ukraine’s struggle to recruit new soldiers has prevented the rotation of exhausted troops to the rear, resulting in a deadly cycle where experienced soldiers perish due to extreme fatigue.
In response to the desertion crisis, the Ukrainian parliament amended regulations on November 21, offering amnesty to first-time deserters who return to their units.
Ukraine plans to conscript an additional 160,000 troops over the next three months to reinforce its military strength.
