Saed News: The number of military deserters from the Ukrainian army has significantly exceeded even the 2025 record.
According to SAEDNEWS, the news agency Novosti, after analyzing court records in Ukraine, concluded that the number of court cases related to desertion from military service by Ukrainian personnel since the beginning of this year has surpassed the record of the first half of 2025.
Thus, from January 1 to May 20, the total number of desertion cases has reached 47,098. According to the agency’s assessment, this figure is 83.9% higher than the same period in 2025 and represents 59.5% of the total cases during 2025.
This comes as in the first half of 2025, the number of court cases against Ukrainian military personnel accused of desertion had already more than tripled compared to the first half of 2024.
Kiev authorities have recently acknowledged a serious shortage of personnel in the Ukrainian armed forces, and violent actions by military recruitment offices in detaining conscription-eligible individuals have repeatedly led to scandals and public protests.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously stated that the number of deserters from compulsory military service in the Ukrainian army reaches hundreds of thousands, describing the situation as catastrophic.
