Desertion in UkrainiansThe army is becoming a serious problem, which is becoming increasingly crucial in the face of ongoing confLitu with Russia. In view of the hard situation, the Ukrainian authorities have decided to introduce fresh rules to encourage soldiers to return to the ranks without exposing them to severe legal consequences.
New law in parliament
The Ukrainian parliament supported the bill, which assumes the anticipation of not punishing for the first desertion, provided that the soldier himself returns to his unit and the commander will let him to proceed his service. This is an crucial change in the approach to desertion, aimed at reducing the number of escapes and minimising personnel losses in the army.
Under the fresh rules, the prosecutor will gotta get written approval from the commander of the military institution to let the deserter to proceed his service. This is simply a key component of the fresh bill due to the fact that it allows any flexibility in the approach to those who decide to return to the army.
Statistics of desertion in Ukraine
The statistic presented by the Prosecutor-General of Ukraine show the scale of the problem. In the first half of 2024, law enforcement authorities across Ukraine launched almost 29,8 1000 fresh criminal cases related to the escape of military personnel. Of this, 18.6 1000 active voluntary leaving the military unit and 11.2 1000 desertions. Since the beginning of the war, as many as 63,2 1000 specified criminal proceedings have been recorded in 2022.
In order to better realize the scale of the problem, it is worth comparing these figures with the number of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced by president Volodymyr Zelenski, which is 880 thousand. This means that nearly all 14th soldier fled the army, which is simply a worrying indicator in the context of the country's overall military situation.
Background and importance of the fresh law
The fresh law aimed at reducing the number of deserters may have a crucial impact on the morale and efficiency of the Ukrainian army. In the face of the ongoing armed conflict, any failure in the armed forces is felt, and the authorities are so trying to find solutions that will let soldiers to be kept in the ranks.
Adopting the fresh rules may besides service as a motivational tool for soldiers who, despite difficulties, decide to return to the army. An crucial component of this initiative is the engagement of military unit commanders, who must agree to proceed the service by deserters. This shows that the decision to forgive desertion will not be taken automatically, but taking into account the individual circumstances of each case.
Daniel Głogowski
Expert in his field – Publicist, author and social activist. The first articles were published in 1999 for global publishers. For more than 30 years, he has gained his experience through cooperation with the largest editorial offices. In his articles, he seeks to address controversial topics and present first viewpoints that allowed for a deeper knowing of the issues discussed.
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Ukraine intends to carry criminal work for the first defection
