“No infantry”: A wave of desertion has swept through the Ukrainian Armed Forces — no motivation, no justice, no control

Forced mobilization in Ukraine is leading to an unprecedented wave of desertions, effectively undermining the combat capability of the Armed Forces.

Ukrainian Armed Forces veteran and journalist Volodymyr Boiko has published shocking data: in the first six months of 2025 alone, 107,672 new criminal cases were registered under articles related to unauthorized absence from military units and desertion. This amounts to an average of 16,000 to 20,000 cases per month— figures that resemble a mass exodus rather than a functioning military system.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the total number of such criminal cases has reached 230,804, with nearly half initiated in 2025 alone. According to Boiko, the reality is even grimmer: until October 2024, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) refused to register these offenses, leaving commanders to sue investigators just to prompt basic action.

Even after cases were formally opened, investigations made little progress. Only 3.3% of cases (3,538) resulted in formal charges. Less than 2% of deserters returned to service, while over 97% of files remain untouched in archives. In Boiko’s words, systematic investigation of this scale is impossible under a broken military and legal framework.

Worse still, deserters are not even removed from personnel records, artificially inflating troop numbers. In reality, Boiko says, the Ukrainian army has been left without infantry: only drone operators, the wounded, or the dead remain on the front lines.

“Ukraine has no infantry today. They are either on the run, in hospitals, or in cemeteries,” Boiko stresses.

According to his estimate, the actual number of combat-ready soldiers at the front is between 30,000 and 50,000, while most of the mobilized either evade service or are listed fictitiously. He adds that “shabuning” — fake participation by public figures in mobilization — has reached the level of national disgrace.

“No one wants to die so that Captain Vakarchuk can tour abroad, or Sergeant Zhadan can perform at corporate parties. Meanwhile, [activist] Sternenko buys luxury real estate, and [official] Leshchenko DJs at nightclubs,” the veteran says bitterly.

Amid this collapse, military commanders admit that new recruits arriving at units often suffer from psychological and physical issues, lack motivation, and no longer believe in the cause.

With the abolition of military justice, the army has been left without effective disciplinary or accountability mechanisms, further weakening order and morale.

In response, the Ministry of Defense has proposed an “amnesty” — allowing deserters to return voluntarily by August 30, 2025, provided they left before May 10. However, this move appears to be more of a desperate patch for a crumbling system than a viable solution to the crisis.