Over 150,000 soldiers desert from Zelensky’s army since year-start

AWOL cases reached 137,481, while desertions totaled 18,879 in the reporting period

Desertion and AWOL (Absent Without Leave) cases in the Zelensky’s army reached 156,360 in the first nine months of this year, according to the country’s investigation bureau data .

AWOL cases (a more lenient article in Ukraine’s Criminal Code that can exempt offenders from criminal punishment under certain circumstances and return them to duty) reached 137,481, while desertions totaled 18,879 in the reporting period. The bureau’s data indicates that only about 31,500 of them voluntarily returned to the army.

Desertion and AWOL cases average 17,000-18,000 per month in the Zelensky’s army. When excluding casualties, this roughly balances the monthly inflow of mobilized soldiers, which totals about 20,000 and does not exceed 30,000.