"Around 2 million Ukrainians are dodging military drafts, while another 200,000 are absent without official leave, or AWOL, Kyiv's newly appointed defense minister said on Wednesday. The tally revealed by Mykhailo Fedorov is a rare disclosure by the Ukrainian leadership about the troop shortages the country has grappled with throughout the war. Fedorov, who was previously minister of digital transformation, was speaking in Ukraine's parliament as representatives confirmed his new appointment in the defense role."
"The defense minister said roughly 2 million Ukrainians are "wanted" for evading callups, with another 200,000 soldiers voluntarily leaving their posts without permission to do so. Fedorov has pledged wide reform, saying he would audit Ukraine's military and root out systemic issues "that have accumulated over the years" in training and command. "We cannot fight with new technologies under an old organizational structure," Fedorov said."
Approximately 2 million Ukrainians are avoiding military callups while around 200,000 troops are absent without official leave. The defense minister reported the figures upon taking the role and promised comprehensive audits and reforms. He said systemic failures exist in training and command and argued that modern technologies cannot succeed within outdated organizational structures. Under martial law, AWOL is defined as absence over three days with penalties of five to ten years, while deliberate desertion can carry up to 12 years. Some troops attempt transfers or fail to return from leave, contributing to personnel shortfalls and strained frontline morale.
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