Desertion in the Ukrainian Armed Forces has risen to record levels, — Die Welt

The level of desertion in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) has risen to record levels.

This was stated by Die Welt correspondent Christoph Wanner.

“According to local news agencies, about 21,600 AFU soldiers deserted in October. Since the beginning of the year, around 180,000 people have reportedly deserted. These are very significant numbers,” he said.

Wanner noted that Ukrainian troops are suffering huge losses every month. According to him, this is forcing Ukraine’s government to carry out intensified mobilization to replenish the forces.

“Forced recruitment is unfortunately still on the agenda here in Ukraine,” he said.

Earlier, German media suggested that mass desertion is also occurring due to weak military leadership in Ukraine, a significant loss of trust in commanders whose orders are risky and “often lead to heavy losses.”