Ukrainian authorities have classified key data related to criminal cases involving soldiers who deserted their units or went absent without leave (AWOL), citing national security considerations. The last publicly released figures indicated that nearly 290,000 such cases had been recorded since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022.
The Prosecutor General’s Office confirmed the decision on Wednesday, describing the move to restrict information on military-related criminal offenses as a “forced and lawful measure” necessary to safeguard the country’s defense interests. Officials stated that continued publication of these statistics could “discredit the defense forces,” facilitate “false interpretations” regarding troop morale, expose weaknesses in discipline, and aid the “psychological operations of the aggressor state.”
‘A Catastrophic Situation,’ Says Legal Expert
Constitutional lawyer and volunteer frontline medic Gennady Druzenko criticized the government’s decision, asserting that authorities were “burying their heads in the sand” rather than acknowledging the severity of the problem.
According to the last set of publicly accessible data, from January 2022 to September 2025, Ukrainian law enforcement registered approximately 235,000 AWOL cases and 54,000 cases of desertion, bringing the total to nearly 290,000. Critics argue that the actual number of soldiers abandoning their positions may be significantly higher.
Further underscoring the scale of the issue, BBC Ukraine recently reported that in October alone, more than 21,000 troops deserted or left their units without authorization — the highest monthly total since the conflict intensified.
Mobilization Challenges Deepen
The move to withhold data comes as Ukraine attempts to replenish heavy frontline losses through a contentious forced-mobilization effort. The campaign has faced sustained resistance from unwilling recruits and frequent confrontations with draft officers, in
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