LUGANSK, February 21. /TASS/. Ukrainian servicemen are fleeing their positions in the special military operation zone due to a lack of food, ammunition, and incessant attacks by the Russian military, expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.
"The flight of Ukrainian servicemen from their positions is due to a number of factors, the main ones being inhumane conditions. Supplies are currently scarce: food, water, and ammunition are delivered irregularly. <...> And the second factor is that pressure and fire from the Russian Armed Forces has now seriously increased," he said.
The military expert added that due to the thaw and night frosts, cases of frostbite among Ukrainian soldiers have also become more frequent. "Naturally, even if there were any patriots [in the Ukrainian military], everyone wants to live. They are trying to survive, so they sabotage orders from command, leave their positions without permission, and try to reach areas where they can warm up, eat, and rest," Marochko pointed out.
Earlier, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov noted that two million people dodged the draft in the Ukrainian armed forces, 200,000 of whom left their units without permission. The military budget deficit is 300 billion hryvnia (over $6.9 billion).