AWOL

Ukraine offers AWOL troops a choice of more than 70 military units

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has expanded its voluntary return program for service members who left their units without authorization, allowing them to choose from more than 70 units across the Armed Forces, National Guard or State Special Transport Service.

1 August, 12:50 PM

Police search turns into deadly shootout with AWOL soldier in Dnipropetrovsk

An AWOL soldier opened fire on law enforcement officers, wounding two KORD special forces commandos before committing suicide in a settlement within Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the National Police of Ukraine announced on July 16.

16 July, 02:24 PM

Soldier detained after video shows beating of fellow servicemember

A soldier suspected of beating a fellow servicemember from Ukraine's 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade and then going absent without leave has been detained in Kropyvnytskyi, the Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office for the Eastern Region reported on May 7.

7 May, 02:15 PM

Commander cites fear and sudden life changes as top reasons for AWOL cases

The highest number of AWOL cases is recorded among soldiers who have just arrived from Territorial Recruitment Centers, with the primary causes being fear of the unknown and a sharp change in life circumstances, Brigade Commander Ruslan Habinet said in an interview with Radio Liberty on April 29.

30 April, 11:48 AM

AWOL and weapon misuse top list of most common offenses among Ukrainian soldiers

Unauthorized absence from military units and violations of rules for handling weapons are the most common offenses committed by Ukrainian soldiers, the deputy head of the Military Law Enforcement Service, Colonel Yevhen Sviderskyi, told news agency Ukrinform on April 19.

19 April, 04:15 PM

Russian deserters terrorize villages on temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories

Russian army deserters are operating in the temporarily occupied territories, Russian forces are now targeting them during most of their searches, Association of Middle East Studies Deputy Director Serhii Danylov said in an interview with NV.

26 March, 09:27 AM

3rd Assault Brigade records only 13 AWOL cases a month – Biletskyi

The Third Separate Assault Brigade, which forms the core of Ukraine’s newly formed Third Army Corps, recorded only 13 cases of unauthorized absence (AWOL) in a single month — described by its commander, Brig. Gen. Andriy Biletskyi, as an absolute record for the Armed Forces, he told ICTV in an interview released on Feb. 6.

7 February, 07:14 PM

What new Defense Minister Fedorov can do to solve conscription problem

In a stark assessment of Ukraine’s military challenges, newly appointed Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov revealed that approximately two million Ukrainians are wanted for violations related to military registration, while another 200,000 soldiers are currently listed as AWOL (absent without leave). To explore potential solutions, Serhii Kuzan, head of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, shared his insights in an interview with Radio NV on Jan. 16. Kuzan’s analysis comes at a critical juncture as Ukraine seeks to stabilize and replenish its armed forces.

16 January, 07:50 PM

New Defense Minister Fedorov reveals scale of wanted and AWOL cases

Nearly 2 million Ukrainians are wanted for violating military registration rules, and around 200,000 service members are listed as absent without leave (AWOL), Ukraine’s newly appointed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told parliament on Jan. 14.

14 January, 04:15 PM

Budanov addresses AWOL cases and recruitment graft in first meeting

Kyrylo Budanov, newly appointed head of Ukraine's presidential office, held an expanded meeting with military leadership on corruption in territorial recruitment centers (TRCs) and cases of unauthorized absence from units (AWOL) in the armed forces, he reported on X on Jan. 10.

10 January, 05:04 PM

Partisans expose scheme Russia uses to hide scale of its losses near Pokrovsk

Russian occupation commanders are concealing real losses on the Pokrovsk front by recording soldiers killed in action as having “gone AWOL” (unauthorized absence), Atesh partisan movement reported on Dec. 8.

8 December 2025, 11:42 AM

‘A very bad record’: Ukraine sees sharp rise in desertion and AWOL cases — Prosecutor General’s Office

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian law enforcement has registered more than 310,000 criminal cases related to unauthorized absence from a military unit or place of service (AWOL) and desertion — most of them in the first 10 months of 2025.

10 November 2025, 01:45 PM

Ex-AWOL soldiers often super-effective, says Da Vince Wolves commander

The ability to choose a unit, military specialization and increased payments could help attract Ukrainians to the army — as shown by troops returning from AWOL to new units, Da Vinci Wolves battalion commander Serhiy Filimonov said in a big Radio NV interview on Nov. 7, commenting on Ukraine's military conscription challenges.

9 November 2025, 06:26 PM

Protests in Kyiv over harsher penalties for the military

Hundreds of protesters rallied on Kyiv’s Independence Square on Sept. 5, opposing a bill that would introduce harsher criminal penalties for military insubordination.

5 September 2025, 10:48 PM

Ukraine’s Armed Forces see 43% drop in crimes, General Syrskyi says

Criminal offenses within Ukraine’s Armed Forces decreased by 43% compared to 2024, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a Facebook post on May 1, summarizing an April 2025 military review.

1 May 2025, 07:35 PM

Kyiv court extends detention of ex-155th Brigade Commander Riumshyn

The Pecherskyi District Court in Kyiv ruled on March 19 to keep Dmytro Riumshyn, ex-commander of the 155th Separate Anna Kyivska Mechanized Brigade, in custody until April 20, with a bail option of 43 million hryvnias ($1 million), lawyer Andriy Iosyfov reported on Facebook.

19 March 2025, 03:50 PM

Odious 155th brigade commander arrested

Dmytro Ryumshin, the former commander of the 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade ‘Anne of Kyiv,’ has been detained with a UAH90 million ($2.14 million) bail, public broadcaster Suspilne reported on Jan. 22.

22 January 2025, 10:33 PM

3,000 Ukrainian soldiers return to duty after AWOL in past 72 hours

In the past 72 hours, approximately 3,000 service members have returned to duty after going AWOL or deserting, Oleksandr Hrynchuk, head of Ukraine’s Military Police, announced on Dec. 3.

3 December 2024, 09:38 PM

Over 6,000 Ukrainian deserters voluntarily rejoin military service

In the past month, more than 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers who had been absent without leave or deserted have returned to duty, resuming their military service, a source in Ukraine’s General Staff told NV on Nov. 29.

30 November 2024, 02:03 AM

Zelenskyy signs law easing punishment for desertion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law allowing automatic re-enlistment for military personnel who have voluntarily returned after first instance of desertion or going AWOL.

29 November 2024, 01:18 AM

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