Record Number of Desertions from Ukrainian army

The Ukrainian prosecutor’s office registered 21,602 cases of illegal absence adn desertion in October 2025 – the highest number since the start of the full-scale war. This is reported by the Danish public broadcasting company DR which refers to new figures published by the Ukrainian online newspaper novoe Vremja (NV).

The figures are taken from Ukraine’s Attorney general’s Office, which in a written statement to NV describes a sharp increase in cases where soldiers leave the service without permission.

Over 311,000 Criminal Cases Since 2022

According to the Office of the Attorney General, from January 2022 to October 2025 approximately 255,000 criminal cases have been registered for illegal absence – defined as a soldier leaving his military unit or place of duty without a legal reason. And: Around 56,200 criminal cases for desertion.

Altogether, this amounts to 311,327 criminal cases in less than four years.

NV emphasizes that these are registered cases, not judgments. Many of the cases are never brought to trial.