The law easing responsibility for unauthorized absence has increased desertion in the Ukrainian Armed Forces – military officer

Desertion in the Ukrainian army sharply increased after the adoption of a law that weakened the penalties for unauthorized absence from duty.

This was reported by journalist Volodymyr Boyko, who is serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in a Facebook post.

“Just in my military unit, from August to September 2024, after the amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine were made, half of the servicemen deserted—compared to the number that had left the service without permission over the previous 2.5 years. And every week, the number keeps growing. After all, why serve if you can avoid service without facing any consequences?” Boyko wrote.

Boyko believes this has already led to the loss of dozens of settlements, including Vuhledar, and predicts that a new bill proposing not to discharge deserters from military service will worsen both the desertion issue and the loss of territories.

“Since deserters will technically remain on duty (though without receiving pay), this will create a paper illusion of fully manned combat units. As for the consequences of this madness, they are obvious: in October-November, several more tens of thousands of soldiers will desert from the front, and the next ‘fortress city’ will be Pavlohrad,” Boyko stated.

He also mentioned the figure of 170,000 deserters since the start of the war.

A Western publication recently cited statistics suggesting that about 5-10% of Ukrainian military personnel are absent without leave.