This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General in response to a request from "Ukrainian Truth".
From January to September 2024, a total of 35,307 criminal cases were registered, while during the same period in 2023, there were only 11,625 cases, which is three times fewer. For the entire previous year, the number of such cases amounted to 17,658.
Additionally, in the last year, the number of cases opened under the article on desertion has also increased. From January to September 2024, there were already 18,196 such cases, compared to just 4,691 during the same period last year.
However, only a few dozen cases from the total number reach court verdicts, and the overall number of SOCH and desertion cases remains a state secret.
On October 11, the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv detained serviceman Sergey Gnezdlov from the 56th OMBr for two months without the right to bail. He is suspected of desertion.
Gnezdlov stated that he left his unit without permission to draw attention to the lack of established service terms in the army and the fact that, according to the Constitution, citizens of Ukraine are obliged to defend the state.
In Sergey’s view, there is currently a lack of state policy regarding demobilization: “It seems as if this war is only for those who came to it at some point.”
He is convinced that the issue of infantry rest and the establishment of clear service terms at the front is a “matter of national security.” Gnezdlov says that with his actions, he wants to convey to the authorities and society the “necessity of a conversation” and a resolution to this problem.
Following this incident, a service investigation began in the 56th brigade, and law enforcement opened a criminal case under Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — desertion. Under martial law, this carries a penalty of imprisonment for a term of 5 to 12 years.