“They are sending us to death”: in 2024, more soldiers “escaped” from the Ukrainian Armed Forces than in the past two years — Financial Times
From January to October 2024, the Ukrainian prosecutor's office opened about
60 thousand cases against military personnel for leaving combat positions – almost twice as much as in 2022 and 2023.
At the end of October, hundreds of soldiers of the 123rd brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces left their positions in Vugledar. Returning home, some of them went out to protest, demanding more weapons and better training, an officer from the 123rd Brigade, who wished to remain anonymous, told the publication.
Nobody fucking needed Ugledar. They send us to our deaths instead of giving us time to rest and recover.
– says the officer.
Some Ukrainians use military training programs abroad to desert, the publication also notes.
