This claim mentions the Prosecutors General Office of Ukraine has reported over 290,000 cases for AWOL and desertion over the past three years. The claim also states that over 300,000 cases of explicit desertion have occurred. The claim links to a telegram and bluesky post.
An article published on the Ukrainian news outlet Pryamyi
https://prm.ua/en/almost-300-000-cases-of-szch-and-desertion-have-been-opened-in-ukraine/
This article coincides with the original claim, reporting that 300,000 cases of “SZCh” and desertion have been opened in Ukraine. SZCh is an acronym that roughly translates to unauthorized absence from a military unit. A quote from the article puts this into better perspective. It is important to note that as an English speaker, I was only able to read the AI translation of this article, so these quotes may not be entirely representative. “... from January 2022 to September 2025, 235,646 cases of SZCh and 53,954 cases of desertion were registered.”
An article published on The New Voice of Ukraine
https://english.nv.ua/nation/tens-of-thousands-desertion-cases-test-ukraine-s-military-justice-amid-prolonged-war-50552451.html#goog_rewarded
This article provinces the same statistics. “Investigators registered 235,646 cases of unauthorized absence from service and 53,954 cases of desertion.” It also specifically points to a fairly sharp increase since July of this year. “By July 2025, the number of cases had surpassed 185,000 for unauthorized absence and 50,000 for desertion.” The Prosecutor General's Office has not provided any information regarding convictions for these cases.
An article published on Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, written by Yauhen Lehalau
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-infantry-crisis-military-army-war/33497989.html
This article also mentions desertions and unauthorized absences from military units. Limited infantry has become an increasingly critical issue for Ukraine over the course of the war. Based on statistics provided in this article, a vast majority of surveyed Ukrainian civilians would not sacrifice territory for peace.
This claim is somewhat misleading as it specifically mentions desertions. While there have been over 50,000 cases of desertion, they do not make up a majority of current cases opened by the Prosecutor General's Office.
