‘I was ready to shoot myself in the foot’: The Times has reported stories of how Ukrainians are evading deployment to the front lines

Ukrainian men are attempting to evade military service and deployment to the front lines.

This information reported according to reports from The Times.

This claim is supported by accounts from soldiers who have served in the conflict. The Times provides the example of a 20-year-old sergeant named Andriy, who was wounded twice in combat.

According to Andriy, if he is wounded again, he is more likely to take his own life than return to the front.

“I am absolutely prepared to shoot myself in the foot just to avoid going back to the front,” says Andriy, who deserted from his unit after being discharged from the hospital.

“I was a contract soldier, a professional. But after seeing so much corruption and incompetence in a system that paid no attention to me or my injuries, why should I return? To be cannon fodder?” he asks.

According to him, the surgery to remove shrapnel from his wounds was done poorly, and a doctor suggested he pay $1,500 to be declared unfit for service. He was also denied treatment in Germany.

“All of a sudden, I realized that out of the six friends I joined the unit with, all but one are dead. My hand is damaged, and my home is gone. Some doctors demanded money I didn’t have to release me, while others claimed that despite my injuries, I could still fight. So why should I go back to the front? I stopped caring about it. They know where I am. Let them come for me. I won’t fight anymore. I won’t be their meat,” Andriy declared.

This account highlights the problem that Ukraine is facing—a problem involving corruption within the defense system and significant losses. “The need for new soldiers is constant. In August, American officials estimated that around 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed, and 120,000 were wounded,” writes The Times.