Ukrainian army plagued with rising desertions, war fatigue: Report
3 Min Read
The issue of desertion has become a major concern in Ukraine.
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Ukrainian infantrymen train with French soldiers to learn combat skills, in France, Tuesday, November 7, 2023. (AP)
A new report published by The Guardian reveals that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have abandoned their units, though the exact number remains classified.
Officials acknowledge the figure is significant, attributing it to exhaustion, as many troops have reportedly served for months without a proper break.
The issue of desertion has become a major concern in Ukraine. Last week, authorities launched an investigation into the 155th Mechanised Brigade after 56 soldiers disappeared while training in France. Reports suggest that hundreds more are unaccounted for. The unit’s commander, Dmytro Riumshyn, has been arrested and faces a 10-year prison sentence for failing to fulfill his official duties and report unauthorized absences.
Why it matters
After three years of war, Ukraine is facing a severe shortage of soldiers, particularly infantry, making it easier for Russian forces to advance in the east.
Structural challenges persist as well, with new hastily assembled brigades underperforming. In response, President Volodymyr Zelensky recently ordered that inexperienced recruits be integrated into existing battalions rather than forming new units.
Some deserters remain in hiding, while others live and work openly. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, is debating strategies to boost recruitment. Deserters currently face prison terms of 12 to 15 years, but in an effort to encourage their return, lawmakers last summer removed criminal penalties for those who voluntarily rejoin their units, restoring their full benefits. Another bill has been passed allowing soldiers to transfer between units, addressing ongoing conflicts between lower and higher ranks.
To further ease recruitment, the government is developing a system that would allow applications through the Ministry of Defense’s Army+ app. Additionally, efforts are underway to attract younger recruits aged 18 to 25, who are currently exempt from mobilization. Proposed measures include guaranteed training programs and initiatives to improve communication between soldiers and their commanders.
'It's about morale more than injury'
Andrii Hrebeniuk, a sergeant major in an infantry battalion fighting in Velyka Novosilka, Donetsk Oblast, told The Guardian that desertion happens "pretty frequently".
"Some return. Some don’t," he said. "It’s about morale more than injury. They need a psychological reset. They go and see their families and reappear after a couple of months," Hrebeniuk stressed.
Asked if he understood them, he responded, "I don’t sympathize and I don’t condemn."
Hrebeniuk’s brigade, the 110th Mechanised Brigade, recently made a rare public appeal, stating that it was critically short of personnel. While it had sufficient drones and artillery, it lacked infantry at a time of relentless Russian attacks.
"We need to break the stereotype that if you join up you will be dead in five minutes," Hrebeniuk said, stressing the importance of battlefield survival skills.
"Simple things keep you alive, like digging in, cleaning your weapons, and paying attention during first aid training," Hrebeniuk stressed.
Human rights activist Olena Reshetylova said as quoted by The Guardian that "hundreds of thousands" of Ukrainian soldiers remain in their positions and "are not going anywhere."
She argued that the recruitment crisis could be solved if Ukraine’s allies deployed their own troops.
"As I see it, it is Europe’s armies that are absent without leave," she said. "They don’t understand—or don’t want to understand—that this is their war too."
