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Ukrainian deserters abroad are hunted through Interpol — parliament member

"The percentage of those who have left their newly formed brigades is the highest," Ruslan Gorbenko said

MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. Ukrainian law enforcement agencies put on a wanted list through Interpol those Ukrainian army servicemen who desert from their units while undergoing training in Western countries, a Verkhovna Rada member, Ruslan Gorbenko, of the ruling party Servant of the People, has said, noting that the highest percentage of deserters was now recorded in the newly formed brigades.

"The percentage of those who have left their newly formed brigades is the highest," he said in a conversation with Ukrainian TV host Lana Shevchuk. The video was uploaded to the journalist's YouTube channel. At the same time, according to Gorbenko, there are many cases in which military servicemen "escape during training abroad."

"This entails criminal punishment. Relevant proceedings are launched. The State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine files wanted lists with Interpol," he added.

Earlier, the Financial Times reported that more soldiers left the Ukrainian army in the first ten months of 2024 than in the previous two years. On October 29, the head of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, Stanislav Kravchenko, mentioned a significant increase in the number of desertions and disobedience of orders in the army, calling the situation threatening. Verkhovna Rada member Anna Skorokhod pointed out that the number of desertions exceeded 100,000.

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