Over 100,000 on the run from Zelensky's army

Published 2 November 2024 at 12.02

Foreign. More than 100,000 soldiers have now deserted from the Ukrainian army, according to information from Anna Szkorohod, a member of the Supreme Council of Ukraine. Desertions are believed to have increased significantly due to difficult conditions at the front, where over half of those drafted survive only a few days of combat.

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Szkorohod, who was interviewed by the YouTube channel Novosztyi Live, says that the situation is worsening and more people are leaving the Ukrainian army without permission.

Other sources have estimated the number of deserters as high as 170,000, including military court lawyer Roman Likhachev, who recently reported on increasing desertion levels.

Stanislav Kravchenko, president of Ukraine's Supreme Court, has also expressed concern about the large number of desertion attempts.

Ukrainian authorities are now facing enormous problems. Oleksandr Lytvynenko, secretary of Ukraine's National Security Council, recently informed parliament that they need to recruit 160,000 new soldiers within the next three months to deal with Russia's continued advance on the front line.

In Donbas, Russian forces have advanced rapidly, forcing back Ukrainian soldiers from several key villages and communities.

According to military expert Emil Kastehelmi of the Black Bird Group, as quoted by the Kyiv Independent, the town of Selydove recently fell into Russian hands, which constitutes a strategic loss for Ukraine as it is only a few kilometers from Pokrovsk, a significant logistics hub.

The serious situation at the front has also focused on the survival time of the Ukrainian soldiers. According to the Polish news giant Do Rzeczy, the life expectancy of a newly recruited soldier is very short – more than half survive only a few days in combat.

The heavy losses together with the shortage of personnel and the increasing number of desertions are now a critical burden on Ukraine's defense.

Ukraine's leadership is now facing difficult problems. Drastic measures are needed to reverse the negative trend and reverse both the flight from the front, the Russian advance and the heavy losses on the battlefield.