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In 2024, 50.5 thousand cases of desertion and unauthorized absence were recorded in the Russian army

2025.03.06

Criminal cases were initiated against 20 thousand people, the Ministry of Defense deemed the work of units with the fewest cases initiated as «unsatisfactory»

The total number of documented cases of «evasion of service», including unauthorized absence (UA), in the Russian army last year amounted to 50,554, according to an «internal presentation» for Russian officials and UA lists in the Southern Military District. This data was published by the Ukrainian intelligence community InformNapalm.

According to the analysis by the OSINT community Frontelligence Insight, the largest number of criminal cases (22,577) were initiated against servicemen of the Southern Military District. The «army corps» assembled from the formations of «L/DNR» belong to the SMD. The Central Military District is in second place with 13,769, followed by the Moscow Military District (7,778), the Leningrad Military District (3,052), and the Eastern Military District (3,378).

The presentation also indicates the proportion of criminal cases initiated from the total number of refusers: out of 50.5 thousand refusers and deserters, only about 20 thousand people were prosecuted. Officials also separately highlight units with the fewest criminal cases initiated and call their results «unsatisfactory».

Researchers note that the current level of desertion in the Russian army is comparable to the level of desertion among U.S. Army servicemen during the Vietnam War in 1968-1971 — about 5% of the total number of servicemen.

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