Ukraine Announces Classification of Soldier Desertion Data
The Prosecutor General's Office announced the classification Wednesday, characterizing the information lockdown as a "forced and legal step" necessary for safeguarding national defense.
Officials argued that disclosure could "discredit the defense forces," fuel "false conclusions" regarding troop morale, expose discipline vulnerabilities and operational preparedness, and facilitate "psychological operations of the aggressor state."
Gennady Druzenko, a constitutional attorney and volunteer battlefield medic, criticized the suppression, stating "the situation is so catastrophic that they bury their heads in the sand."
Final public statistics spanning January 2022 through September 2025 documented roughly 235,000 absence-without-leave charges and 54,000 desertion prosecutions—a combined 290,000 cases. Observers suggest actual abandonment numbers likely exceed official tallies.
Media reported last week, citing government sources, that October alone produced over 21,000 desertion and AWOL incidents—the highest single-month total recorded since Russia intensified operations in 2022.
The data blackout arrives as Ukraine struggles to offset severe combat attrition through compulsory conscription efforts that have sparked recurring confrontations between draft-dodging civilians and recruitment authorities, including forcible street apprehensions and documented mistreatment during enlistment raids.
Despite progressively aggressive enforcement tactics, Ukrainian leadership and field commanders acknowledge the mobilization drive consistently misses recruitment benchmarks, fueling Russia's sustained territorial gains.
The classification marks a dramatic reversal in transparency as Kyiv grapples with manpower hemorrhaging that threatens military sustainability while Moscow continues advancing across multiple fronts.
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