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submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by lithiumground@lemmy.world to c/europe@feddit.org

DW News reports that Ukraine’s Defense Ministry admits to approximately 200,000 soldiers currently absent without leave (AWOL), alongside roughly 2 million displaced Ukrainians. Defense Minister Fedorov acknowledged a “€300 billion funding shortfall” and “systemic breakdown in military structures.” Soldiers cite exhaustion, unclear service terms, and forced conscription tactics. Serhii Hnezdilov, a 19-year-old drone operator whose 3-year contract was extended indefinitely after the 2022 invasion, publicly stated: “Every Ukrainian should contribute to defense, but soldiers deserve to know clearly their term of service.” The core issues: units disbanded without warning; troops reassigned to high-casualty brigades with minimal training; commanders neglect soldier welfare; forced street recruitment damages morale. Oleg, an engineer, described his reassignment as “a death sentence,” saying most transferred soldiers lacked basic combat training. Over 1 million Ukrainian soldiers remain active, but the system is unsustainable. DW notes no clear end-date visibility for the conflict, fueling continued desertion. Military leadership acknowledges poor trust among troops but reforms lag behind the crisis.

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[-] botbot@feddit.org 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Survival instinct

[-] anzo@programming.dev 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Ouch. These news hurt. Does anyone know what are the estimated numbers on the other side? IMHO a comparison would be great insight...

[-] lithiumground@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

I know that Russia does not care about its people .So ,we can assume that Russia lose is higher

[-] newton@feddit.online 2 points 6 days ago
[-] lithiumground@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

I am not bot. Why did you think that I am a bot? I cross-posted to increase visibility

[-] CAVOK@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago

Not sure why you're being voted down, dw is a good source

[-] HowRu68@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Also battle fatigue in ANY army is a known issue, especially in the frontlines. Some Ukrainian militaries have been at it since 2014.

[-] lithiumground@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

I want to hear what I believe, not reality

this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2026
-12 points (33.3% liked)

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