Over 250,000 desertion, AWOL cases opened since 2022, prosecutors say

More than 250,000 criminal cases have been opened into soldiers' absence without leave (AWOL) and desertion since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported on Aug. 26, citing the Prosecutor General's Office.
According to the data provided by the prosecutors, 202,997 criminal cases were opened into unauthorized abandonment of military units, also known as absence without leave, from 2022 to July 2025. A total of 15,564 people were officially charged with the crime.
The Prosecutor General's Office also said that 50,058 desertion cases were opened in the same period, and 1,248 individuals were charged with desertion.
Under martial law, men aged 25 to 60 can be conscripted into the armed forces.
The report comes as the Ukrainian Armed Forces are facing manpower shortages while struggling to hold back the Russian advance at the front.
