(CNN) Ukraine estimates that 200,000 of its soldiers are absent without official leave (AWOL), meaning they have left their positions without permission to do so, the country’s new Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov revealed on Wednesday.
Speaking in the Ukrainian Parliament ahead of the vote that confirmed him as the new defense chief, Fedorov also said some 2 million Ukrainians are “wanted” for avoiding military service.
The Ukrainian military has been under strain for years as it tries to defend the country against a much bigger and stronger enemy. Conditions along the frontline have been brutal, with Kyiv’s troops often trying to hold onto key positions even as they find themselves outmanned and outgunned.
Rumours of low morale and high desertion rates have been swirling around for a long time, but Fedorov’s comments mark the first time any Ukrainian official has disclosed the scale of the problem.
