They are finished? Soldiers flee en masse

Newsweek reports that from January to the end of October, more soldiers voluntarily left than in the previous two years combined, which is also reflected in the number of lawsuits filed by Kyiv against soldiers who left their positions.

It is about 60,000 cases. As of February 2022, over 100,000 soldiers have been charged with desertion, with indictments only being filed against soldiers who did not choose to return to their posts.

In almost three years of war, both sides have had trouble attracting new soldiers, but in 2024, Russia still made significant progress in conquering the eastern part of Ukraine and occupied areas such as Avdiyivka, and is currently closing in on the Donetsk region.

Ukraine should consider lowering the age limit for military service from 25 to 18, a senior US administration official said.

The official told reporters that Ukraine has not trained and mobilized enough new soldiers to fight Russian forces. He pointed out that Ukraine needs forces to fight, because the Russians are making steady progress in the east of Ukraine, as well as pushing back Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region in Russia.

The official stated that the mobilization in Ukraine and more forces on the front could make a significant change on the battlefield compared to the current situation.