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More than 80 Ukrainian soldiers deserted during training in Germany, media reports
The Kyiv Independent • • world
Key Points:
- Approximately 80 Ukrainian soldiers have deserted military training in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, since 2022, with hundreds estimated to have deserted across Germany, according to Die Zeit.
- These soldiers, mostly mobilized rather than volunteers, left unauthorized to avoid returning to Ukraine amid a growing manpower shortage in Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia.
- Over 25,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained in Germany by early 2026 as part of the EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine, which involves 22 European countries training around 87,000 soldiers.
- Desertion under Ukrainian law during martial law can lead to prison sentences of up to 12 years, but deserters in Germany face uncertain legal status, as they are not eligible for temporary protection under German law.
- The EU recently renewed temporary protection for 4.4 million Ukrainian refugees, while Germany and other EU countries have tightened rules for Ukrainian men of military age arriving in Europe.
