Prosecutor General’s Office investigates 60,000 cases of unauthorised abandonment of military units
Since the beginning of 2022, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has registered almost 60,000 criminal proceedings on the facts of voluntary desertion of a military unit (SZH) and about 30,000 regarding desertion in the ranks of the Armed Forces. About this informs publication “Ukrainian Pravda” based on a request to the Prosecutor General’s Office.
For the period from January 2022 to September 2024, 59,606 criminal proceedings were registered under the Criminal Code (Article 407 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), of which 2,592 cases were closed. Also, 29,521 proceedings regarding desertion (Article 408 of the Criminal Code) were registered, while 414 cases were closed.
It is interesting that in January-September 2024, the number of cases of SZH increased three times, and the number of desertions – almost four times compared to the same period in 2023.
However, the number of court sentences is much lower compared to the number of registered offenses. According to the press center of the judicial authorities, in 2022, 1,505 sentences were handed down for criminal offenses, in 2023 – 2,165, and during January-September 2024 – 766 sentences. There were 179 sentences for desertion in 2022, 195 in 2023, and 177 from the beginning of 2024.
Under the conditions of martial law in Ukraine, voluntary desertion of a military unit is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 5 to 10 years, and desertion is punishable by up to 12 years in prison. However, on August 20, 2024, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law providing for exemption from criminal liability for SZH and desertion in certain cases: if the offense was committed for the first time, the soldier decided to return to service before the trial, or if the unit commander gave the court written consent to return of military personnel to service.
