The number of those who arbitrarily abandon military units is approaching the number of those fighting on the battlefield. This was stated by Roman Kostenko, a deputy from the "Holos" faction and secretary of the National Security, Defense, and Intelligence Committee of the Verkhovna Rada. He noted that in the future, these individuals could unite to form a separate force that would "make claims" against the Armed Forces.
Redaksiya reports that Kostenko stated: "Currently, 80% of people are simply fleeing from training centers, and the country is doing nothing to bring them back or create conditions where they would be afraid to flee and would fulfill their duties. There are millions of 'evaders'; they are hiding and simply observing from the sidelines."
According to "Opendatabot," citing data from the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, over 161,000 criminal cases related to unauthorized abandonment of a military unit (HÖT/AWOL) were opened during the first 10 months of 2025.
Kostenko stated: "We must work with AWOL cases. Soon, the number of AWOL cases will equal our army. And this will later become a separate segment of society that will make claims against those who fought."
It is noted that this is 4 times more than in the same period last year. Law enforcement agencies record approximately 16,000 new AWOL cases each month. Currently, only 5% of the cases have reached court.
The deputy noted that the country is doing nothing to bring such people back or to create conditions where they would be afraid to flee and would fulfill their duties.
He noted that, of course, there are various reasons for AWOL, but the majority flee before reaching the front line.