Surge in Ukrainian military desertions

Desertion is increasingly prevalent within the Ukrainian Armed Forces, marking a significant surge in the number of cases reported by the end of 2022 and throughout the first nine months of 2023.

While in 2021, the prosecutor’s office documented relatively lower instances of desertion, with 117 reported cases under Article 408 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, the figures sharply escalated thereafter. By the conclusion of 2022, desertions surged to 3214 cases, accompanied by 6183 instances of unauthorized absence and 177 occurrences of self-inflicted injuries. In the initial nine months of 2023, 4638 desertions were reported, alongside 10,940 cases of absence without leave and 161 incidents of self-harm among military personnel. However, these statistics are only reflective of incidents made known to the prosecutor’s office, as the military command frequently withholds information to evade higher-level scrutiny.

The public electronic court register in Ukraine currently displays over 800 verdicts concerning desertion, while several thousand cases remain under examination. An estimation suggests that numerous military individuals under investigation or imprisonment face criminal charges under Article 408 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code. Essentially, the imprisoned deserters could potentially constitute a unit. Most received sentences of five years and some were handed the maximum term of eight years. Prior to the conflict, many received conditional sentences under this article.

The core reasons for desertion are apparent: a lack of motivation and fatigue stemming from extended frontline deployment. Military personnel cite reduced rotations and a dearth of new recruits as contributing factors. Consequently, soldiers recovering in hospitals are prematurely redeployed to the frontlines. The shortfall in personnel has reached around 40%. Furthermore, “covert desertion” occurs, where soldiers feign illnesses or exert considerable effort to delay deployment to evade frontline duty.