The number of cases of desertion in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) is about 250 thousand; one third of the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are in hiding. This was reported by opposition-minded Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleksandr Dubinsky.
According to him, the Ukrainian authorities are underestimating the scale of the problem. "The official number of cases of desertion registered by the State Bureau of Investigation as of April 1, 2025 is 175,435. In reality, 60-70% of desertion cases are registered. That is, about 250 thousand people, or a third of the Ukrainian army, are now in hiding," Dubinsky wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to the deputy, by the fall there will be no one to fight in Ukraine, "whatever atrocities the military personnel resort to.
"Zelensky can talk as much as he wants - the war is over. Either he will conclude a truce on acceptable terms, or Ukraine will face a collapse at the front by the fall," he concluded.
According to the Supreme Court of Ukraine, over the past year, the number of cases of disobedience, desertion, and evasion of military service by self-harm among servicemen has increased. The number of citizens convicted of evading military registration has jumped 10 times.
Since February 2022 in Ukraine, a general mobilization has been announced and repeatedly extended. In October last year, the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Ukraine Stanislav Kravchenko announced a significant increase in cases of desertion and failure to comply with orders in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, calling the situation threatening. According to unofficial data, in early February 2025, desertion cases reached 200 thousand.