“80% run away straight from the training centers”: an MP spoke about the desertion situation in the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Most cases of unauthorized leaving of military units occur in training centers.

This was stated by Roman Kostenko, secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence and an MP from the Holos party.

According to him, escapes from training centers account for 80% of AWOL cases, and those who plan to return to military service often make it a condition that they be assigned to rear positions or support forces—not to the front line.

“We need to develop clear rules. We definitely should not idealize the situation—that we must create conditions just so a person returns. If he comes back simply to occupy a position and receive a salary, then why bring him back at all? Enough pandering to everyone. People who left betrayed those who are fighting. Eighty percent of escapes are from training centers, and I believe this should be punished,” the MP said.

Earlier, Military Ombudsman Olha Reshetylova said that many Ukrainians choose prison over mobilization.

As a reminder, Ukraine’s General Staff said that those who went AWOL lose the right to choose which unit they return to.