LONDON, November 8. /TASS/. Ukrainian troops are leaving their combat positions without permission en masse, with some estimates putting the number of soldiers absent without leave (AWOL) at nearly 20%, The Economist wrote.

"Amid a breakdown of trust between society, the army and the political leadership, Ukraine is struggling to replace battlefield losses with conscription, barely hitting two-thirds of its target," the article says. "A senior Ukrainian military commander admits that there has been a collapse in morale in some of the worst sections of the front. A source in the general staff suggests that nearly a fifth of soldiers have gone AWOL from their positions."

According to the journal’s estimates, although the armed forces of Ukraine they have enough weapons and ammunition to resist, Ukraine may face acute shortages of personnel and ammunition within about six months.

Kiev hopes that Donald Trump, elected to be the next US president earlier this week, will try to seek a solution to the conflict on terms that would be favorable for the Kiev government. According to the publication, Vladimir Zelensky’s government appears to be increasingly frustrated by the outgoing US administration’s policy, which they describe as "‘self-deterrence,’ the habit of fearing escalation with Russia."

"America’s refusal to grant Ukraine permission to use its long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia, its chronic delays in supplies of military aid (even the package already approved) and its inability to offer solid security guarantees are increasingly seen as weakness and hypocrisy. Mr Trump’s victory, however, could offer Mr Zelensky a way out of what looks like a bloody deadlock at best, defeat at worst," The Economist wrote.

According to the journal, neither Trump nor his inner circle have not yet revealed any details of the president-elect’s potential peace plan.