The number of soldiers deserting the battlefield is increasing in Ukraine

Kyryll Babi, an Ukrainian soldier, pledged in May 2023 that he would continue fighting until his homeland, Crimea, was freed from Russian occupation. However, by the end of 2023, he broke down. He was supposed to retire on February 27, 2024, but since his last Instagram post in November 2023, he has been missing. According to leaked information from the Prosecutor General's Office reported by Ukrainian media, between January and August this year, 45,543 soldiers deserted the Ukrainian army. In the entire year of 2022, this number was 81,167. Some military officials believe the actual number may exceed 100,000, equivalent to around 10 percent of the total personnel currently serving in Ukraine's armed forces.