MOSCOW, November 12. /TASS/. A total of 311,327 criminal cases related to desertion and unauthorized absence from duty have been opened in the Armed Forces of Ukraine since February 2022, the local outlet NV reported, citing data from the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

The number of cases involving unauthorized absence from a military unit — a less serious offense under the Criminal Code, which under certain circumstances allows soldiers to avoid criminal liability and return to service — has reached around 255,000, while approximately 56,200 cases concern desertion.

Since February 2022, Ukraine has been under a state of general mobilization, which has been repeatedly extended. The authorities are taking all possible measures to prevent men of conscription age from evading service, while military enlistment officers, in order to meet recruitment targets, have been forced to detain men on the streets. However, commanders note that those "mobilized" in this manner are often unfit for service and poorly motivated.