When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine three years ago, Ukrainian soldiers were ready to sacrifice their lives for their country. However, after three years of conflict, the situation has changed. Desertion has become a pressing issue, drawing significant attention in Ukraine.

Advertisment

Last week, the government launched an investigation into a brigade whose 56 soldiers disappeared during a training session in France, while hundreds of others are also reportedly missing.

Also read: 'When Russians hide, North Koreans shoot': How Pyongyang's troops are reshaping Russia-Ukraine war

The brigade's commander has been arrested and faces a 10-year prison sentence for failing to carry out his official duties and not reporting unauthorised absences.

Advertisment

Ukraine faces severe shortage of soldiers

Ukraine is facing a severe shortage of soldiers, particularly in infantry units. The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, has been debating efforts to increase recruitment.

Deserters currently face prison sentences of between 12 and 15 years. However, last summer, the parliament removed criminal penalties for those who voluntarily return to their battalions, restoring their full benefits.

Advertisment

'I’m nobody. Just a number'

A soldier who fought in the village of Tonenke near Avdiivka in 2023 described his experience to The Guardian: “When I arrived I was super-motivated. If necessary, I would give my life.”

Over time, though, his enthusiasm faded. “The Russians would smash our positions to the ground,” he said.

Also read: 'Not Putin’s or Modi’s puppet’: Trump's US top spy pick Tulsi Gabbard defends loyalty at confirmation hearing

According to him, senior Ukrainian commanders issued unrealistic orders. While defending a destroyed building, a falling panel struck his shoulder. “I realised I’m nobody. Just a number,” he told The Guardian.

In May of that year, he left his post to seek medical treatment and did not return. His commander listed him as AWOL.

The soldier claimed he attempted to rejoin his brigade in August 2023 but was told he was no longer wanted.

He is among thousands of Ukrainian soldiers who have left their units. While the exact number remains classified, officials confirmed to The Guardian that it is substantial.

“Everybody is tired. The mood has changed. People used to hug soldiers in the streets. Now they worry about being conscripted,” he said.

Also read: Putin says Russia ready for peace talks but rules out speaking directly with 'illegitimate' Zelensky

“One guy lost an arm. Another a leg. Some had bullet wounds. Nobody is completely OK. Even so, we managed to achieve some tasks,” he added.

'I decided to go where nobody can find me'

Another deserter, who had participated in Ukrainian offensives in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, shared his perspective with The Guardian: “I reached boiling point. So I decided to go where nobody can find me.”

Since then, he has been in hiding. “We will see what happens. Maybe I get caught and sent to the frontline,” he said. However, he said that he would fight again if Russian forces entered his town or if the Ukrainian military became a fully reformed NATO-style force with better leadership.

'Problem is big'

Olha Reshetylova, Ukraine’s commissioner for protecting service members’ rights, recognised the gravity of the situation. She told The Guardian, “Let’s be honest. The problem is big. It’s natural in a situation where you’ve had three years of major war. People are exhausted. They want to see their families. Their children are growing up without them. Relationships get broken. Wives and husbands can’t wait for ever. They feel alone.”

“It’s a complex and complicated problem. We can’t solve this with criminal punishment. If it comes to a choice between being killed and going to prison, of course at that moment you will go with the second option,” she said.

Also read: Zelensky hints at possibility of peace talks with Russia, says allies should work on its ‘format’

Reshetylova pointed out that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers remain in their positions and continue to fight. She suggested that the recruitment crisis could be eased if Ukraine’s allies committed their own troops.

“As I see it, it is Europe’s armies that are absent without leave. They don’t understand – or don’t want to understand – that this is their war too,” she said.

(With inputs from agencies)