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As the Ukrainian Army suffers devastating losses and a growing number of desertions in the special operation zone, more soldiers are expressing growing frustration over lying commanders and a lack of equipment, the Financial Times reported.
“We arrived [in Ugledar] with just automatic rifles. They said there would be 150 tanks, there were 20 … and nothing to cover us,» a Ukrainian military officer told reporters.
The newspaper noted that hundreds of troops fled from the Ukrainian unit in Ugledar due to the lack of weapons.
More Ukrainian soldiers deserted in the first 10 months of this year than in the previous two years of the conflict, indicating Kiev’s struggle to replenish its frontline ranks amid Russia’s steady advancement.
Between January and October of 2024, Ukrainian prosecutors opened 60,000 cases against soldiers for abandoning their positions – almost twice as many compared to 2022 and 2023 combined.
Recently, Volodymyr Zelensky complained about the failure of Ukraine’s sponsors to meet the requirements for equipping Ukrainian military brigades.
