Mass Desertions of Ukrainian Soldiers Undergoing Training in Germany

German media outlets reported on August 20 (local time) that cases of Ukrainian conscripts deserting while receiving military training in Germany are on the rise.

The weekly newspaper Die Zeit reported that 80 Ukrainian soldiers have fled from the training ground in Saxony-Anhalt alone, with the nationwide total estimated to reach several hundred.

Germany operates about 60 training facilities for Ukrainian troops to support basic military training, including marksmanship and casualty treatment, as well as the operation of donated weapons such as Leopard tanks.

Since the outbreak of the war in February 2022, approximately 29,000 Ukrainian soldiers have received training in Germany.

The Ukrainian military has deployed military police to training centers within Germany to monitor and prevent desertions.

German media analyzed that while relatively experienced soldiers were trained in the early stages of the war, an increasing number of individuals who were forcibly conscripted has led to a rise in desertions recently.

Volodymyr Shulhin, a 39-year-old deserter who stated he was captured and conscripted off the streets of his hometown Dnipro in January of this year, said, "People should decide for themselves whether to go to war," adding that he feels no pangs of conscience about other soldiers being deployed to the battlefield in his place.

He recounted that after entering the training camp in Saxony-Anhalt in February, he was beaten by a non-commissioned officer, and when he reported this to a German doctor at the medical office, an officer caught wind of it and threatened to "bury" him.

Shulhin confessed that he deserted by taking advantage of a two-week hospital stay in downtown Berlin for cold symptoms.

European Union (EU) member states, including Germany, protect Ukrainian refugees by exempting them from standard asylum procedures.

However, deserters are not regarded as refugees, meaning they must apply for asylum and prove that they face the risk of persecution in Ukraine.

Broadcaster MDR reported that while the likelihood of deserters receiving an official residence permit in Germany is almost nonexistent, they can buy time through the asylum process.

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, more than 60,000 soldiers have deserted to date, and approximately 250,000 are under investigation for long-term unauthorized absence from duty.

Deserters can face prison sentences of up to 12 years if caught.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.