Record Numbers of Ukrainians Abandon Army as Desertions Surge Amid Russian Gains

The armed forces of Ukraine are facing a deepening manpower crisis as desertions and unauthorised absences (AWOL) have surged to record levels, a trend officials describe as one of the most serious threats to Kyiv’s war-effort sustainability since the 2022 Russian invasion.

According to data from the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, since 2022, more than 250,000 cases of AWOL and over 50,000 desertions have been officially recorded.

In 2025 alone, the number of desertions and AWOL incidents has risen sharply, with some months seeing over 20,000 soldiers abandoning their posts.

In practical terms, that has translated into a contraction of the active military force by as many as 190,000 to 310,000 personnel in just the first half of this year, when combat losses are also taken into account.

Multiple factors explain the exodus. Newly conscripted recruits frequently cite minimal or inadequate training, poor leadership, lack of rotation, and substandard living conditions. Many describe arriving at front-line units with little preparation, unready for combat, prompting fear of imminent death.

Others cite family pressures or refusal to accept repeated frontline deployments, particularly after witnessing high casualty rates and insufficient support for wounded comrades.

Ukrainian military officials say the desertion crisis compounds the enormous losses already incurred during combat, significantly weakening defensive capacity along key fronts.

Commanders warn that with fewer men available, rotating troops and holding defensive lines have become increasingly difficult; some units reportedly operate at well below standard strength.

Amnesty-and-reintegration efforts introduced by Kyiv since late 2024 have yielded only limited success. Though thousands of AWOL personnel reportedly returned under leniency provisions, many leave again, driven by disillusionment and fear.

Meanwhile, legal punishments for desertion (ranging from 5 to 12 years in prison under martial-law regulations) have not served as a deterrent in part because authorities struggle to locate many absentees, and courts remain overwhelmed by caseloads.

Analysts and military-policy experts warn that if desertion trends continue, Ukraine’s ability to resist further Russian advances will be seriously compromised.

The crisis highlights not just battlefield attrition, but a broader collapse of morale, discipline, and institutional capacity, a challenge that may shape the coming phases of the war more profoundly than any single battle.

Source: Al Jazeera; TASS; Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office reports (2025)