The lack of manpower has developed into an even greater problem for the Ukrainian troops than the lack of missiles, drones, artillery, or any other weapons systems.
Not only death and the wounded leave Kiev’s troops lacking strength, but the deserters have become a major issue.
Desertion is ‘starving’ the army and crippling its battle plans.
Associated Press reported:
“Facing every imaginable shortage, tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops, tired and bereft, have walked away from combat and front-line positions to slide into anonymity, according to soldiers, lawyers and Ukrainian officials. Entire units have abandoned their posts, leaving defensive lines vulnerable and accelerating territorial losses, according to military commanders and soldiers.”
Some leave and never return after being treated for wounds, and others run away in the middle of a firefight.
Kiev’s failed mobilization drive fails to remedy the overstretching and hollowing out of front-line units.
“More than 100,000 soldiers have been charged under Ukraine’s desertion laws since Russia invaded in February 2022, according to the country’s General Prosecutor’s Office.”
It’s understandable that the number of soldiers gone AWOL has spiked in the last year, after Kiev launched a brutal and controversial mobilization drive.
“It’s a staggeringly high number by any measure, as there were an estimated 300,000 Ukrainian soldiers engaged in combat before the mobilization drive began. And the actual number of deserters may be much higher. One lawmaker with knowledge of military matters estimated it could be as high as 200,000.”
A deserter heard by AP said he left his unit to get surgery. But by the time his leave was up, he couldn’t bring himself to return. He still reportedly has nightmares about the comrades he saw get killed.
“’The best way to explain it is imagining you are sitting under incoming fire and from their (Russian) side, it’s 50 shells coming toward you, while from our side, it’s just one. Then you see how your friends are getting torn to pieces, and you realize that any second, it can happen to you’,” he said. ‘Meanwhile guys (Ukrainian soldiers) 6 miles away order you on the radio: ‘Go on, brace yourselves. Everything will be fine’,’ he said.”
Ukraine has a deficit of 4,000 troops on the front because of deaths, injuries, and desertions.
“Prosecutors and the military would rather not press charges against AWOL soldiers and do so only if they fail to persuade them to return, according to three military officers and a spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Investigative Bureau. Some deserters return, only to leave again.”
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