– What's the crime? I had household problems! – says Kostiantyn, a defector from the Ukrainian army. – Incidentally, the crime is that I did not receive any rehabilitation or compensation after I was injured! – he adds.
Kostiantyn is 1 of 21,000 soldiers who, according to Ukrainian investigative authorities, escaped from the front or failed to fulfil their military duty. In fresh months, they have voluntarily returned to military service to avoid criminal proceedings. The corresponding deadline expired in early March. According to data from the beginning of the year, there were almost 123,000 cases of desertion and leaving the unit in Ukraine.
Too many deserters to prosecute everyone
In the years 2023 and 2024, the number of cases of desertion reached a level that the authorities were no longer able to cope with. In the last 2 and a half years, only 7 percent of all cases have been investigated.
This led to a silent agreement that the authorities would not analyse unless the unit commander could convince the escaped soldier to return to service.
This practice shortly became a law, as decided by the Ukrainian Parliament. Since the fall of 2024, soldiers who did not fulfil their military work or deserted could voluntarily return to service and thus avoid criminal proceedings. The reason for this decision was, of course, staff shortages at the front. In January the commander-in-chief of Ukrainian armed forces Alexander Syrski said that Ukraine needed more soldiers in mechanized brigades. However, the ability to mobilise is not adequate to meet this need.
However, following another amendment of the Act in December, a deadline was set for returning to the army without criminal consequences. Initially it was 1 January 2025, but then the deadline was extended for another 2 months, until early March.
Over fatigue and conflicts with superiors
– My name is Jewish, I am a soldier of the Ukrainian armed forces and I was reinstated after the desert," says a 38-year-old man whom we meet at the 59th Independent Assault Brigade, located on the front line close Pokrowska.
I've been fighting for 10 years and I'm from Mariupola. The war kind of burned me out, took everything from me, my full family. But I am tough and I have a strong sense of justice," says Jewish.
The soldier escaped from 109. The Territorial Defence Brigade, in which it served from the beginning of a full Russian invasion of Ukraine. I disagreed with my erstwhile commander. He didn't like me and sent me on missions he didn't come back from, but I came back, and then I deserted," says Jewish.
For a period and a half he lived in Dniepore and took illegal work there. “I had a small remainder due to the fact that I had only 1 vacation in all these years,” he adds.
Finally, Yevhen turned to the Ukrainian military police. “I told them that I was a deserter and I want to come back,” he recalls. The next day, along with another deserters, he was taken to the reserve battalion, where recruiters from various brigades occasionally gathered. He yet accepted the offer of the 59th assault brigade and shortly returned to war.
I gotta fight. I'm a toe soldier to the tip of my hair, says judaic about my motivation. “When you come back from the front to the large city, it’s weird and hard to watch life just go on.” he adds.
– There seems to be no war on the outside. Stores, restaurants, Maybachy, Jeepy, Porsche... People live and do not realize what is happening there – he says.
Back to the front welcome
Now, judaic is practicing with respective soldiers who have besides returned to service. Their commander, bearing the nickname "White", has knowing of the attitude of his fresh comrades. Most of them had good reasons to avoid serving.
– frequently for a long time they are not changed in their positions, or they had to go home to solve household problems – the commander reports. It besides happens that a soldier after treatment is reported as a deserter if he does not return to his military unit within 2 days.
However, the commander emphasizes that returning soldiers conscientiously execute their duties if they are treated properly. Most of them have already served in the military. They're better trained than those who are fresh after the draft. They are besides more motivated and easier to work with," he says.
In the fall, erstwhile the Russian army intensified the offensive towards Pokrovsk, the brigade received recruits. At the time, in an interview with DW, the commander of the nickname "White" criticized their training and the spirit of combat.
They frequently left their positions. However, the situation in his brigade has improved over the last 3 months by strengthening the returnees.
Unsolved Problems
– These people committed a crime that is subject to the penal code, but that does not mean that they are bad soldiers," Roman Horodecki, an officer of intellectual support for the 68th separate Jaeger Brigade. This brigade is besides deployed on the front line close Pokrowska. According to Horodecki, about 30 percent of deserters returned, half of them to their erstwhile brigades.
He believes that the current government correctly regulates the return of deserters to military service. However, they do not solve the causes of mass desertion. – The main problem is the physical and intellectual exhaustion of soldiers. But at the minute it is simply impossible to solve this problem – Horodecki regrets.
"War is like a drug"
A 42-year-old military named "Milka" himself is 1 of the returnees. He won't explain why he deserted. It wasn't on the front, but in the back, where he was transferred after he was wounded.
Why did I come back? I don't know how to explain it. War is like a drug. erstwhile you were in the war, you were dragged back there – he says. It's not that you request those explosions, not at all. I don't know how to say this.
He was ordered to decision to 68. A brigade where he was meant to train soldiers. "Milka" feels his condition improved in the time he spent at home.
“I am recharged with energy,” he says. I'm not even reasoning about vacation right now. But I'd like to take it all down, dip my uniform in gasoline and burn it, and then put on a sweatpants, take the kids by the hand and go for a walk. That's what I want – says the man.
