Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
World
Shola Lawal

Why is Ukraine’s army facing a desertion crisis?

Family, friends and army comrades gather to mourn Ukrainian army paramedic Nazarii Lavrovskyi, 31, at his funeral at Lisove cemetery in Kyiv, April 24, 2024 [Francisco Seco/AP]

More Ukrainian soldiers have deserted the army this year than ever since the onset of a war that analysts say has seen both sides make gains and report losses.

Prosecutions for desertion from Ukraine’s army are thought to have hit at least 30,000 – quite possibly much more – already this year. This is several times the number in 2022, the year the war began when citizens and foreigners voluntarily poured into the military to push Russia back.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.