Western media write about desertion crisis in Ukraine: the Defence Ministry made a statement on demobilisation

This is double the 24,000 cases recorded in the whole of 2023 and a significant increase from the 9,000 cases recorded in 2022. The reason for this sharp increase is the fatigue of soldiers, many of whom enlisted in the Defence Forces in the early days of the full-scale Russian invasion. The Times reports that.

The rise in desertions

Many military personnel who began service in 2022 are feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. This is leading to an increase in cases of running away from the military. One such incident that has caused a public outcry is the case of Sergei Gnezdilov, a serviceman of the 56 Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade, who publicly announced his SOCH after five years of service. Gnezdilov noted that his brigade mates also used illness as an excuse for desertion.

Decriminalisation of first escape cases

In August 2024, Ukraine decriminalised the first cases of escape of military personnel to encourage them to return to service. However, a criminal case was opened against Gnezdilov and he faces up to 12 years in prison. He has become an "example" for other servicemen, he said, which is causing public debate.

Problems with demobilisation

A mobilisation law was passed in April 2024, which led to an increase in the number of recruits. However, the issue of demobilisation has not been resolved. Earlier it was proposed to limit the term of service to three years, but this point was excluded after the intervention of the AFU Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyy. The Ukrainian Defence Ministry said that the demobilisation measures could reduce the combat effectiveness of units and disrupt their rotation.

The ministry also said it was working to improve the order of rotation of servicemen at the front to reduce the load on active units.

Roman Kostenko, secretary of the Verkhovna Rada committee on national security, stressed that mobilisation in Ukraine has deteriorated and this creates difficulties in establishing clear timelines for service. Kostenko noted that the issue of demobilisation could be solved only with successful mobilisation and motivation of citizens to serve in the army.