(KYIV) – Ukrainian forces are facing significant personnel challenges as growing exhaustion, unclear prospects for an end to the war and aggressive recruitment tactics contribute to what officials have described as a critical shortage of troops.
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry has counted approximately 200,000 soldiers who have left their units without authorisation, a figure Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov acknowledged in a recent interview. Fedorov also noted that Ukraine is facing a shortfall of about 300 billion euros (£253 billion; $320 billion) and has two million citizens who have left the country since the start of the full scale invasion.
Serhii Hnezdilov, a drone unit member in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, became a public symbol of the issue in September 2024 when he left his unit without authorisation and explained his reasoning on social media. Hnezdilov had joined the army in 2019 on a three-year contract, but his service was extended when Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He argued that soldiers deserve to know when they can expect a return to civilian life, stating that volunteers and those who joined the military were being relied upon while being “effectively pushed out of society.”
Military leadership is aware of the strain on troop numbers. Defence Minister Fedorov has promised improvements, acknowledging the need to address problems within the armed forces. However, morale issues persist. Anatolii, a former infantry soldier who fought in Bakhmut, told DW News that outdated structures and a lack of trust in military leadership prompted him to leave the army. He said commanders were more concerned with their ranks and money than with the welfare of soldiers.
In one case, Anatolii was sent home on leave to recover, but a month later he received his documents and was listed as absent without leave. He said he received no pay for the leave period. Oleg, a 30-year-old father from an engineering battalion, described how his unit was split up and assigned to infantry brigades with heavy casualties and bad reputations. Most of the men in his unit had never completed basic military training and very few had any combat experience. Oleg left his unit without authorisation and later used a loophole to transfer to an administrative role.
Scenes of soldiers forcibly taking civilian men off the streets for military service have also damaged morale. Oleg said that early belief that individual efforts could influence the course of the war had faded after repeated deployments. He stated: “Mission after mission, deployment after deployment, you start seeing the bigger picture. You realise there is no end in sight. Your own efforts don’t have the slightest impact on the overall course of this war.”
The challenges facing the Ukrainian military come as the war enters its fifth year. Despite the difficulties, Ukrainian forces continue to fight against Russian aggression. However, the personnel shortages and morale issues represent a significant challenge for Ukraine’s ability to sustain its defence effort.
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