Military on AWOL in Ukraine: Many mobilized individuals flee even before reaching the front lines

Military on AWOL in Ukraine: Many mobilized individuals flee even before reaching the front lines

A significant percentage of unauthorized leaves from military units (ULMU) in Ukraine occurs for the first time when a person is sent from the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center (TRSSC) to Basic General Military Training (BGMT) and undergoes training — they flee from the training ground, or when they are transferred from BGMT to their unit.

This was reported by the military ombudsman Olha Reshetylova.

The commander of the First Assault Battalion of the First Assault Regiment named after Dmytro Kotsiubailo, with the call sign «Mayak», in an exclusive interview with TSN, said that mobilized individuals reach their unit without issues or losses «on the way».

However, according to him, these people often try to escape later — before reaching combat positions.

«So, no matter how much I hear about the issue of ULMU in the public space — the narrative often revolves around people being tired of the war, commanders being "butchers," and so on. For some reason, no one emphasizes that a very large proportion of people flee without even reaching the line of contact. They escape during consultations, when you take them to the doctor, or simply when they step outside the territory — they just run away,» the military officer said.

In his opinion, this is related to the lack of awareness among Ukrainians:

«Unfortunately, we are losing the information war. And I am 100% sure of this. People’s attitudes… just listen to how they speak — "they took me away." There is a war going on. And this war is ours. We live in this country, and everyone in it will, one way or another, take part. There’s no need to wait for Trump or anyone else to come and bring you peace. Victory is like a piggy bank; you have to contribute something to it every day. If you don’t do anything, it won’t happen.»