In Germany, about 80 Ukrainian soldiers deserted during military exercises
About 80 Ukrainian servicemen may have deserted during training exercises in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Across Germany, the number of such cases could run into the hundreds.
According to Die Zeit, some of the soldiers left their units during training at the Altengrabow training ground and decided not to return to Ukraine. Most of them, according to the publication, were conscripts rather than volunteers.
Ukrainian soldiers are undergoing training in Germany as part of the EU mission EUMAM Ukraine. The training includes tactical training, handling weapons and military equipment, camouflage, and first aid.
According to the Bundeswehr, Germany had trained more than 25,000 Ukrainian soldiers by early 2026. In total, 22 European countries have trained approximately 87,000 Ukrainian servicemembers as part of the mission.
At the same time, soldiers who remain in Germany after the training may find themselves in a difficult legal situation. According to the publication, they are in the country at the request of the Ukrainian authorities, so they are not considered displaced persons and are not entitled to temporary protection under §24 of Germany’s Residence Act.
In Ukraine, desertion during martial law is punishable by imprisonment for up to 12 years.
Source: Die Zeit.
During the “Aurora-26” military exercises in Sweden, Ukrainian drone operators, who acted as a simulated enemy, forced NATO units to revise their tactics several times.
Ukrainians are training military personnel from Canada and Latvia.
