As Ukraine‘s military faces challenges in securing sufficient infantry to counter Russia‘s significantly larger forces, certain units are offering a second chance to those who previously left their posts. Data from the prosecutor’s office indicates that nearly 95,000 criminal cases have been initiated since 2022 against soldiers classified as “absent without leave” (AWOL) and for the more severe offense of desertion in combat. The number of these cases has surged each year of the conflict, with almost two-thirds occurring in 2024 alone. With tens of thousands of troops either killed or injured, this attrition is a significant concern for Ukraine.

In response, some military units are replenishing their personnel by welcoming back soldiers who had been declared AWOL. The elite 47th Brigade of Ukraine recently made a public appeal on social media, inviting those who had left to return. “Our goal is to provide every soldier the chance to reintegrate and fulfill their potential,” the post stated. Within the first two days, the brigade reported receiving over a hundred applications. “We experienced an overwhelming response; the volume of applications has been so high that we are struggling to keep up with processing them,” remarked Viacheslav Smirnov, the recruitment head of the 47th Brigade, two weeks after the announcement.

Two military units that spoke with Reuters clarified that they are only accepting soldiers who went AWOL from their bases, not those who deserted during combat. The former is regarded as a lesser offense within the Ukrainian military. A recently enacted law effectively decriminalizes a soldier’s first instance of absence, facilitating their return to service.

THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS REJOIN AFTER ABSCONDING

Colonel Oleksandr Hrynchuk, deputy head of Ukraine’s military police, informed reporters on Tuesday that 6,000 AWOL soldiers have rejoined the ranks in the past month, including 3,000 within just 72 hours following the law’s enactment.

Mykhailo Perets, an officer in the K-2 battalion of Ukraine’s 54th Brigade, reported that his unit has recruited over 30 individuals who had previously gone AWOL from other military divisions. He noted that the reasons for their absences vary significantly; some found the transition from civilian life to military service particularly challenging, while others, who had served as skilled drone pilots for one or two years, were reassigned to the front lines due to a shortage of infantry personnel.

Perets also mentioned that some of the recruits had been in combat for seven or eight years, having engaged with Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine prior to 2022, and had become fatigued to the point of fleeing.

Gil Barndollar, a non-resident fellow at the U.S.-based think tank Defense Priorities, suggested that the rise in unauthorized absences is likely a result of this exhaustion. Ukrainian military personnel have previously expressed that the lack of replacements for fallen soldiers creates an overwhelming burden on those who remain, leading to both physical and mental fatigue.

Barndollar further pointed out that the average age of the soldiers contributes to this issue. “An army composed of men, often in poor health and in their 40s, will inevitably experience fatigue and morale issues more quickly than a fit army of younger individuals in their 20s or 25s,” he stated.

In response to inquiries regarding the manpower challenges, President Zelenskiy argued that the primary issue lies in the lack of weaponry rather than personnel. He resisted U.S. calls to reduce the minimum draft age from 25 to 18, stating in a recent interview with Sky News that Ukraine’s allies have only been able to supply the necessary equipment for a quarter of the ten new brigades established over the past year.