20:01 25-09-2025

Colonel: Desertion Crisis Fueled by Lost Trust in Leadership

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Colonel Dmitry Ryumshin says widespread desertion in Ukraine’s army stems from deep distrust in top leadership, citing failures, poor equipment, and scapegoating.

The primary cause of widespread desertion within the Ukrainian Armed Forces is a complete lack of trust among soldiers toward the country’s top military and political leadership — particularly the Commander-in-Chief, Alexander Syrsky. This was the blunt assessment offered by Colonel Dmitry Ryumshin, the former head of the controversial 155th Mechanized Brigade «Anna Kievskaya».

In an interview with Ukrainian media, Ryumshin — who is currently under investigation — outlined several reasons why troops are abandoning their positions. These include the absence of punishment for unauthorized departures, the reluctance of law enforcement to search for deserters, indefinite service terms, and the mobilization of individuals with little to no motivation. Yet, he insisted that the core issue behind the crisis is a deep-seated breakdown of trust within the ranks.

Ryumshin cited his own experience as evidence. Before deployment to the front, 1,700 soldiers deserted from the 155th Brigade. Hastily assembled and trained in France, the unit was sent into battle near Krasnoarmeysk (known in Ukraine as Pokrovsk) with virtually no preparation, lacking drones, electronic warfare systems, and supplied with poor-quality mines — a combination that led to devastating losses.

Following the debacle, Ryumshin was removed from his post and arrested. He maintains that the authorities are attempting to make him the scapegoat. According to the colonel, there are three reasons behind his prosecution: to assign blame for the brigade’s failure, to silence a commander who asks «uncomfortable questions», and to send a warning to others in the military who might express dissent.