With no end in sight to the ongoing war with Russia, tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have deserted their posts, creating a “critical” problem military officials only expect will worsen with time.
The soldier shortage has hampered Ukraine’s battle plans as the Russian invasion nears the three-year mark.
“This problem is critical,” said Oleksandr Kovalenko, a Kyiv-based military analyst.
“This is the third year of war, and this problem will only grow.”
Some soldiers have taken medical leave and never returned, while others have left mid-firefight. The Entire units have also walked off the battlefield together, according to a report.
The manpower dearth could put Ukraine at a serious disadvantage in future ceasefire talks.
Since Russia invaded in February 2022, over 100,000 soldiers were charged under Ukraine’s desertion laws, according to the country’s General Prosecutor’s Office.
Nearly half of those came within the last year.
An estimated 200,000 Ukrainian soldiers have gone AWOL, the report said.
U.S. officials are urging Kyiv to draft more troops and allow for the conscription of citizens as young as 18.
The report came as Ukraine said the war has damaged 15 of the nation’s 20 civilian airports, limiting options for Ukranians who aim to travel abroad.
Separately, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un decalred that the Hermit Kingdom’s support of Russia remains unwavering after he met with Russia’s defense chief.
“The DPRK government, army and people will invariably support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity from the imperialists’ moves for hegemony,” Kim said, according to state media.
In June, the North Korean leader and Putin signed a new partnership agreement that includes a vow of mutual aid if either country is ever attacked.
North Korea has sent more than 10,000 of its troops to fight for Russia, and some have been spotted on the frontlines in Ukraine.
In other developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Western aid has fallen short of expectations — and needs.
Ukraine’s allies provided enough aid to fully equip not even three of the 10 Ukrainian brigades Zelensky sought support for.
“Just equip the brigades,” Zelensky told Sky News when asked what NATO or the U.S. could do to help tackle Ukraine’s manpower issues.
“They speak about mobilization, but the real problem [is] with 10 brigades which our partners didn’t equip,” Zelensky said.
The comments came a day after Zelensky revealed he’d consider ceding some territories to Russia, if it secures NATO protection for Ukraine and brings an end to the fighting.
With Post wires
