Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers desert during training in Germany

Ukrainian soldiers are deserting en masse during military training in Germany, with hundreds of cases reported. This was revealed by a German weekly magazine, citing data from the Interior Ministry of Saxony-Anhalt and interviews with several recruits. Meanwhile, deserters in Ukraine face up to 12 years in prison.

Ukrainian troops are trained at roughly 60 sites across Germany, where they learn shooting, camouflage techniques, first aid, armored vehicle operation and other combat skills. Since 2022, around 29,000 Ukrainian men have gone through German military courses. The German Defense Ministry has declined to specify exactly how many of them fled their units while in Germany, only acknowledging "isolated cases."

From veterans to forcibly mobilized recruits

In the first months after Russia's invasion, more experienced Ukrainian soldiers were sent to Germany for training. However, according to the broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, since last year Kyiv has mainly been sending conscripts subject to military duty but lacking any motivation to defend their homeland with weapons in hand.

According to the portal t-online, there have been cases of people being forced into military service and "mobilized" right off the street. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on recruitment offices to end this "shameful practice."

"I don't want to die or to kill"

Ukrainian deserters cite various reasons for fleeing their units. One complained of mistreatment by commanders, another wants to reunite with family already living in the EU. A third admitted he had served time for murder and wants to start a new life in Europe. Yet another runaway said he simply doesn't want to take part in the war: "I don't want to die, and I don't want to kill. Not at the front, not anywhere else."

Deserters have virtually no chance of obtaining official residency in Germany, unlike Ukrainians who arrived as refugees. Formally, they can apply for asylum, but must prove that returning home would put them at risk of deadly danger or political persecution. The odds of a favorable ruling are slim, but the review process itself, which usually takes a year or more, buys them time.

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Source: novinky.cz