Ukraine says 25,000 Russian soldiers have deserted since late 2024
More than 25,000 Russian soldiers and officers have deserted the Russian army since late 2024, Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (HUR) reported on Saturday.
The intelligence service said in a statement published on its official Telegram channel that between November 2024 and July 2025, more than 25,000 soldiers and officers from the Central Military District—one of five operating within the occupation army's structure—left their units independently.
The agency reported the desertions were occurring in various forms: "Some had left their positions directly on the battlefield, others are disappearing from permanent deployment points, and some military personnel simply did not return from medical treatments or leave."
Ukrainian intelligence services reported that the phenomenon had affected various fronts and bases. HUR has also documented more than 30 cases of desertion in the 2024-2025 period alone involving weapons and even combat equipment.
The intelligence agency attributed the mass desertions to what it called "unbearable service conditions," citing widespread abuse and harassment, severe supply shortages, and mass deployments in frontal attacks leading to heavy casualties ordered by Russian commanders.
HUR also said that internal Russian military documents list "non-compliance with orders" among the official causes of death for servicemen.
"More than 30 such cases have been documented in the past year," the agency stated, "which, in fact, points to a systematic practice of executing Russian soldiers who refuse to sacrifice themselves for the Kremlin's ambitions."
The agency appealed to Russian troops, saying that "Every Russian serviceman who does not want to die for the Putin regime has a chance to save his life. To do this, they must contact the 'I Want to Live' project's bot on Telegram."
Translation by Iurie Tataru
