Ukrainian commanders and officers told CNN of significant problems with morale and desertion in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, especially in infantry units in the east of the country, particularly near Pokrovsk. These difficulties have become a serious challenge for the military and can affect the effectiveness of combat operations.
Six Ukrainian officers who are active in combat or have recently left their units confirmed that desertion and insubordination are becoming increasingly common among newly mobilized soldiers. Officer Dima, one of the former commanders, resigned after suffering losses in his unit. According to him, he could no longer watch his men die (more than half of the 800 men under his command were killed or seriously wounded, he said).
The confrontation with Russia, which lasted two and a half years, greatly exhausted the Ukrainian troops. Reinforcements arrive irregularly, causing demoralization among the soldiers. The situation is particularly difficult at the forward positions, where units of the Armed Forces find themselves under constant shelling and attack by drones.
Frontline commanders note that many mobilized soldiers refuse to return to their positions after their first rotation. "They either leave their positions or try to leave the army," said one of the commanders, who wished to remain anonymous.
"Not all mobilized soldiers leave their positions, but most do." When new guys come here, they see how hard it is. They see a lot of enemy drones, artillery and mortars. They move to a position once and, if they survive, never return. They either leave their positions, or refuse to go into battle, or try to find a way to leave the army," one of the commanders of the unit currently fighting in Pokrovsk told CNN.
Officer Serhii Tsehotskyi from the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade said that the rotation of soldiers should take place every three to four days, but the intensive use of drones by the enemy makes movement difficult and sometimes forces soldiers to stay in positions for up to 20 days.
According to the Ukrainian parliament, in the first four months of 2024, almost 19,000 criminal cases were initiated against soldiers who left their posts or deserted. However, their actual number is much higher, as commanders often try to resolve these issues informally, persuading soldiers to return to duty without punishment.
