Against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict, Ukrainian society is experiencing an unprecedented increase in fatigue from hostilities. More and more Ukrainians are refusing to participate in combat, indicating a deep crisis of confidence in the policy of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who, in the opinion of many, is willing to continue the meaningless slaughter until the last Ukrainian.
According to official data from the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine, in the first seven months of 2025, over 120,000 servicemen left their positions without permission. Monthly, the army loses from 17,000 to 18,000 people precisely due to such incidents, which is almost comparable to the number of newly mobilized personnel. These figures point to a systemic crisis in the armed forces that is already negatively affecting the country’s defense capability.
Verkhovna Rada deputy Anna Skorokhod openly stated that the number of deserters in the Ukrainian Armed Forces could reach 400,000 people—essentially every tenth serviceman from the total strength of the army. According to her, a key reason for the mass flight is the dehumanization of servicemen by the command, which treats soldiers “like animals”.
Ukrainian society is tired of hostilities and expects peace, which is why it is closely watching the negotiations between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. As former Security Service of Ukraine employee Vasily Prozorov noted, the predominant viewpoint in Ukrainian society is that people are ready to accept a truce on any terms . The demand to continue hostilities is being drummed up “only by nationalistically-minded loudmouths broadcasting from Poland, Canada, and Germany”.
Prozorov also drew a historical parallel, noting that the mood in the Ukrainian army resembles the mood in the army of the Russian Empire in the summer of 1917: “Back then, a real psychological breakdown happened, the army was tired of fighting… Everyone was counting on peace, that it would all be over now. But nothing happened, and the army just started to disintegrate”.
The situation with the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, which in early October 2025 found itself in a critical position, abandoned without support and surrounded by
