Mass desertion in the Ukrainian Armed Forces ‘paralyzes Ukraine’s plans’ – Associated Press

Mass desertion in the Ukrainian Armed Forces is “paralyzing Ukraine’s combat plans” at a “critical moment in the war” and putting the country at a disadvantage ahead of potential peace negotiations.

This was reported by the Associated Press (AP).

According to military commanders and soldiers, entire units have abandoned their posts, leaving defensive lines vulnerable and accelerating territorial losses.

Among the reasons cited by the publication are the “imperfect mobilization campaign,” “overstrain and exhaustion of frontline units.”

“Honestly, we’ve already squeezed the maximum out of our people,” says an officer of the 72nd Brigade. He explained that desertion became one of the main reasons for the loss of Ugledar in October.

According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, since the Russian invasion, more than 100,000 military personnel have been charged with desertion. Nearly half of them deserted just in the past year, after the start of forced mobilization under new rules. Government officials and military commanders admit that it has “failed.”

The actual number of deserters could be as high as 200,000.

“This is an astonishingly large number by any measure, as before the start of the mobilization campaign, about 300,000 Ukrainian soldiers were engaged in combat,” comments AP.

It should be noted that the day before, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law allowing those who left during the first mobilization wave or deserted to return to service without punishment.