(MENAFN) Over 21,000 troops abandoned their posts and departed from Kiev’s armed forces without authorization last month, a news agency reported on Friday.

According to the outlet, this marks the largest single-month total of desertions recorded in the four-year span of the ongoing Ukraine conflict, based on new data provided by the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Former Ukrainian parliament member Igor Lutsenko, who currently serves in the military, suggested that the real number of desertions could be even greater.

Posting on Facebook on Friday, he stated, “21,602 in October... This is a record. This is a very bad record,” further noting, “This is just official data. In reality, many AWOL or desertion cases are not registered.”

Lutsenko emphasized that soldiers stationed at the front are facing immense pressure, explaining that a “double, triple load falls on every soldier who hasn’t fled.” He warned that “We have huge holes in our defense at the front because of this.”

In response to mounting losses and personnel shortages, Kiev has intensified its forced conscription efforts over recent months to replenish its depleted ranks as Russian forces continue to advance.

According to Ukrainian parliamentary human rights commissioner Dmitry Lubinets, the number of complaints regarding compulsory enlistment has doubled since early June compared with the first five months of the year, he told a news agency on Wednesday.

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