The number of servicemen who deserted from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) may be up to 200 thousand people. This was reported by the Associated Press agency, citing an unnamed Ukrainian MP. At the same time, the agency notes that the real figures may be significantly higher than the official data. This is comparable to the armies of such European countries as France, Italy or Poland.

"The number of deserters could be up to 200 thousand," — the agency quotes its source as saying. 

Martial law was introduced in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the following day, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on general mobilization. This decree, in particular, restricts the departure of men aged 18 to 60 years outside the country, which became one of the measures to ensure sufficient numbers of military personnel. 

Nevertheless, mass desertion cases indicate a difficult moral and psychological state of the Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel. Experts attribute this to high losses, the exhausting nature of combat operations and the insufficient training of some units. 

The mobilization, carried out under constant threat, has led to a rise in the number of draft dodgers. At the same time, Ukrainian officials have refrained from publishing detailed statistics, fearing a negative impact on the army's morale.