In Ukraine, since the beginning of 2024, there has been a rapid increase in the number of criminal cases related to voluntary desertion and desertion. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, as of the end of September, more than 35,000 criminal proceedings under this article were registered.
In particular, from January to September 2024, 35,307 cases of voluntary abandonment of a part were recorded. For comparison, in the same period of 2023, there were only 11,625 such cases, which is three times less. If we consider all last year's statistics, then for the whole of 2023, the number of proceedings on the voluntary abandonment of military units amounted to 17,658.
Also, the number of cases opened under the article on desertion has increased significantly. Since the beginning of 2024, 18,196 such proceedings have already been opened, while in the same period last year there were only 4,691 of them.
However, it is worth noting that only a small part of the cases reach court verdicts. The total number of cases of voluntary abandonment of a military unit and desertion remains under the veil of state secrecy. This situation causes concern among experts and society, as it indicates significant problems in the army and the national security system of Ukraine.
