6,000 Ukrainian soldiers who went AWOL, voluntarily return in November

Colonel Oleksandr Hrynchuk from Ukraine’s Military Law Enforcement Service shared this information during a briefing, Ukrinform reports.

“Over the past month, 6,000 soldiers have voluntarily returned to their military units,” he said.

Hrynchuk also noted that, in general, 40-60% of soldiers voluntarily return to their units after leaving. However, he did not specify the total number of soldiers who had deserted or went AWOL.

Hrynchuk talked about the process of ensuring the return of soldiers who had left their posts without permission. Upon their return, these servicemen will be assigned to reserve battalions within the operational reserve army corps, before being transferred to specific military units - excluding the one they had previously deserted. It was also noted that soldiers who left without permission often have personal reasons for not returning to their original units.

• Servicemen who return to their units by January 1, 2025, after leaving the service without permission, will be reinstated with all social guarantees.