The number of AWOL cases has tripled in Ukraine

Since the beginning of 2024, more than 35 000 criminal cases of the leaving of the military unit without permission (AWOL) have been registered in Ukraine.

This is stated in the response of the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office to the request of Ukrainian Pravda.

From January to September 2024, 35 307 criminal proceedings were registered on AWOL, while from January to September 2023, there were three times less such cases — 11 625.

For the whole of 2023, the number of such cases was 17 658, and for 2022 — 6 641.

Over the past year, the number of proceedings opened under the article on desertion has also increased. From January to September 2024, 18 196 such proceedings were opened, although there were only 4 691 of them in the same period last year.

A total of 7 883 desertion proceedings were registered in 2023, and 3 442 in 2022.

At the same time, as Ukrainian Pravda notes, court verdicts reach several dozen times fewer cases than the total number, and the total number of AWOL cases and desertion remains a state secret.

What preceded

The point of AWOL is being actively discussed after the soldier of the 56th Mariupol Motorized Infantry Brigade Serhiy Hnezdilov went AWOL on September 19, 2024, and publicly informed about it on Facebook two days later. He explained that he wanted to draw attention to the problem, when some fight indefinitely, while others do not plan to mobilize.

Already on October 9, Hnezdilov was detained, and the next day they announced suspicion of desertion. On October 11, he was sent under arrest.

Babel recorded an interview with Serhiy, where we voiced the accusations and arguments of various parties regarding his act. Here are the main points of the conversation, and here you can watch the full version.

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