Ukrainian MP Reports Mass Desertions in Military

(MENAFN) Nearly 400,000 Ukrainian troops have left their posts without formal permission, and a significant portion – including volunteer fighters – have no intention of returning, primarily due to dire treatment by their commanders, according to Ukrainian Member of Parliament Anna Skorokhod.

Speaking to a Ukrainian media outlet on Sunday, Skorokhod emphasized that while this number doesn’t necessarily represent permanent losses, as some service members do come back after initially going AWOL, many cases remain unresolved.

“Many will never return, because it is principled… You can’t treat like animals those who volunteered, fought for three years without seeing family,” she declared, pointing to severe morale issues caused by mistreatment.

Skorokhod argued that these individuals “deserve the right to return home to their families, to their children, wives, to get back to an ordinary life. […] But they are being told ‘you will return only after victory’ – which only exacerbates the situation,” highlighting this policy as a central reason for the rising number of disappearances from military units.

Adding to these concerns, a Ukrainian journalist reported last month that in just the first six months of 2025, over 107,000 criminal investigations had been initiated related to desertions and unauthorized absences.

He noted that since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022, the cumulative total of such cases has surpassed 230,000, though he warned the actual number may be even higher.

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