Desertion cases in Ukraine hit 60,000 in 2024, nearly double the previous two years combined — The Financial Times
From January to October 2024, Ukrainian prosecutors opened 60,000 criminal cases against military personnel for unauthorized abandonment of positions and military units, nearly double the combined total of similar cases opened in 2022 and 2023, reports The Financial Times. If found guilty, service members face up to 12 years in prison.
As an example, the article mentions an incident where hundreds of soldiers from the 123rd Brigade abandoned their posts in Vuhledar in late October. They returned to Mykolaiv, calling for more weapons and rotations. Some have reportedly gone back to the front, while others are in hiding or custody.
FT also notes that some Ukrainian military personnel exploit opportunities to attend training camps in allied countries as a means to desert. According to an anonymous Polish security official, an average of 12 Ukrainian soldiers desert each month during military training in Poland.