Kyiv, Ukraine – Data from the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office for 2025 reveals a significant increase in desertion and voluntary abandonment of military service in Ukraine. The number of cases ranges between 17,000 and 18,000 per month, despite ongoing mobilization efforts that can recruit up to 30,000 new soldiers monthly.
According to official data, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, more than 230,000 files for voluntary desertion have been opened. In addition, there are 53,000 actual cases of desertion from military service. This is indicative of the challenges facing Ukrainian forces in maintaining their organizational and morale cohesion after more than three years of war.
Gradual rise since the Russian invasion
According to the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, Kyiv saw a steady increase in the number of voluntary defections during the first year of the invasion. The number rose from 142 in February 2022 to 1,619 in November of the same year. After a period of fluctuation, the number of defections ranged between 19 and 327 per month until the end of 2022.
In 2024, however, the statistics showed a significant increase. The rate of escapes reached approximately 8,000 cases per month between October and November. It peaked at 15,500 cases in December, the highest number since the outbreak of the war.
In 2025, the statistics remained at similarly high levels, with Ukraine recording an average of 15,000 voluntary departures and 2,000 escapes per month, totaling approximately 200,000 annually.
Multiple reasons behind the phenomenon
Ukrainian military experts attribute the high desertion rates to the protracted war and the depletion of manpower. The psychological and financial pressures faced by soldiers and their families also play a role. Furthermore, the heavy casualties significantly diminish the motivation to enlist or remain in the military, despite government efforts to improve salaries and incentives.
For its part, the Ukrainian authorities are trying to strengthen monitoring and military discipline measures. They are also expanding psychological support and rehabilitation programs for soldiers in an effort to contain the phenomenon and prevent its impact on the army’s combat capabilities.
Data shows that voluntary desertion and draft evasion in Ukraine has become a growing challenge for the military since the beginning of the war. It has increased at an alarming rate in recent years, despite Kyiv’s attempts to control it. With the conflict continuing without a clear end in sight, fatigue and psychological and moral exhaustion among Ukrainian soldiers appear likely to remain one of the most significant challenges facing the military establishment in 2025.
