Speaking before Ukraine's parliament upon his confirmation on 14/1, new Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov pledged deep reform and a comprehensive review of the Ukrainian military to eliminate systemic issues that have persisted for years.

He stated that approximately 2 million citizens are "being sought" for evading conscription, adding that 200,000 soldiers have left their units without permission (absent without leave, or AWOL). This marks a rare instance of a high-ranking Ukrainian official revealing the reasons for the country's severe frontline troop shortages in the nearly 4-year war with Russia.

Fedorov at Ukraine's parliament on 14/1. Photo: X/FedorovMykhailo

Absent without leave (AWOL) is defined as a soldier's unauthorized absence from their unit for more than three days, an offense punishable by 5 to 10 years in prison. Soldiers may be considered AWOL if granted a temporary cessation of combat duty or leave but fail to return to their unit when ordered. Sometimes, military personnel simply abandon their combat positions.

AWOL is a lesser offense than desertion, which is defined as military personnel intentionally evading military service, facing a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison.

Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office reported last year that it has initiated over 235,000 criminal cases for AWOL behavior and approximately 53,000 cases related to desertion since the conflict began.

"We cannot fight with new technology while maintaining an old organizational structure", emphasized Fedorov, who previously served as Ukraine's minister of digital transformation.

According to Fedorov, the review efforts will focus on identifying methods to make existing forces operate more effectively. One reform objective is to ensure all Ukrainian drone brigades have basic staffing, which they currently lack.

"Currently, the top 50 units out of 400 drone combat units inflict up to 70% of damage on the enemy. Imagine the army's potential if we help the remaining 350 units develop", the Ukrainian official stated.

Defense Minister Fedorov noted that Ukraine's military enters 2026 with significantly fewer resources than before. This year's defense budget has been cut by nearly 300 billion hryvnia (approximately 7 billion USD) compared to last year, he added.

Members of Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade train near the frontline in Zaporizhzhia province on 4/1. Photo: AP

The lack of additional forces is severely impacting both the morale of Ukrainian soldiers and the actual battlefield situation. Without human resources for reinforcement, some Ukrainian units report having to fight continuously for years with little rest or leave to visit their families.

Pham Giang (According to Business Insider, Kyiv Independent)