More than 25,000 Russian soldiers deserted in 2024: Reasons for the escape.

Desertion in the Russian Army

According to inkorr.com: From November 2024 to July 2025, over 25,000 soldiers and officers of the Central Military District of Russia, one of the five districts of the occupying forces, left their units unilaterally. This information was provided by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, reports 'Glavkom'.

The variants of desertion are diverse: some soldiers leave their positions directly in combat, others disappear from their permanent location, and some do not return from medical treatments or vacations. During service, cases of desertion even with weapons and equipment have been documented. Alone in the years 2024-2025, there were more than 30 such incidents.

The main reasons for the escape are poor service conditions, particularly widespread 'pre-combat experiences', catastrophic shortages of supplies, and mass deployments to so-called 'meat' assaults. Internal reports of the Russian Armed Forces note that the reasons for soldier deaths are often linked to the category of 'refusal of orders'.

“In the past year, over 30 such cases were documented, indicating a systematic practice of executing Russian soldiers who refuse to go to their death for the ambitions of the Kremlin”

Additionally, 12 Russian soldiers left their frontline positions in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region unilaterally and fled in unknown directions, leaving behind a lot of weapons, military uniforms, and personal belongings.

Problems in the Military Structure

The situation in the Russian Army indicates serious problems in the military structure. The desertion of military personnel is driven by poor living conditions, a lack of supplies, and incompetent military actions. This problem could significantly undermine the combat potential of the Russian troops and pose a threat to the Ukrainian army.