Ukrainian soldiers refusing to report for duty or walking away from their front-line positions are becoming an increasing problem for Kiev. One Ukrainian lawmaker said that there have been as many as 200,000 desertions.
Ukrainian officials and soldiers told the AP that "Facing every imaginable shortage, tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops, tired and bereft, have walked away from combat and front-line positions to slide into anonymity."
The report adds, "Entire units have abandoned their posts, leaving defensive lines vulnerable and accelerating territorial losses, according to military commanders and soldiers."
"Some take medical leave and never return, haunted by the traumas of war and demoralized by bleak prospects for victory," writes The Associated Press.
"Others clash with commanders and refuse to carry out orders, sometimes in the middle of firefights."
Soldiers failing to report to their posts are a rapidly worsening problem for Kiev. In 2022, only 9,000 Ukrainians were prosecuted for desertion.
That number increased to 24,000 in 2023. Ukrainian government data showed prosecutions skyrocketed to 50,000 during the first nine months of 2024.
The prosecutions do not capture the whole picture as one Ukrainian lawmaker told AP the number "could be as high as 200,000."
The growing problem is likely a result of war fatigue.
"It is clear that now, frankly speaking, we have already squeezed the maximum out of our people," said one military officer.
Between casualties and desertions, Kiev is facing a massive manpower shortage. The AP noted Kiev lost a net 4,000 soldiers along the front lines in September. The White House is pushing Ukraine to lower its consumption age to 18 to help fill shortages.
