Financial Times reported how many military personnel escape from exercises in Poland every month

In the first 10 months of this year, more Ukrainian soldiers deserted from the AFU than in the previous two years of full-scale war. Some soldiers are using training in Poland as an opportunity to flee abroad. This was reported by the Financial Times.

In particular, the publication quotes a Polish security service representative, who, on the basis of anonymity, said that about 12 Ukrainian military personnel flee every month during military training in Poland.

The Polish side did not comment on such data.

The FT also writes that between January and October, Ukrainian prosecutors opened 60,000 desertion cases against the military, almost double the number in 2022 and 2023 combined. If proven guilty, these defectors face up to 12 years in prison.

The surge in desertions "further exacerbates an already dire situation for Kiev," the publication points out.

At the same time, the newspaper quoted an MP from the Verkhovna Rada's defence committee, Vadym Ivchenko, as saying that about 20 percent of deserters return.