Ukrainian command has reportedly deployed National Guard combat units to the Kharkov region with orders to track down and punish deserters. The claim comes from an unnamed representative of Russian security structures speaking to Russian media.

According to this source, some National Guard personnel have been integrated into combat groups, while others have been assigned strictly punitive roles. The move is said to reflect mounting difficulties within Ukraine’s military system.

The same source indicated that Ukraine’s military police are struggling to respond quickly enough to cases of desertion, prompting the need for additional forces dedicated to locating soldiers who have abandoned their units.

Earlier, Russian security officials had reported that criminal groups made up of former Ukrainian servicemen were operating in the Kharkov region. These groups were allegedly involved in robberies targeting civilians, as well as the illegal trade of military equipment and drones. Local law enforcement, according to those claims, has been unable to effectively counter their activities.

At the same time, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov has stated that the number of draft evaders has reached approximately two million people, while around 200,000 soldiers have left their units without authorization. He also pointed to a significant shortfall in the military budget, which exceeds 300 billion hryvnias, or nearly 7 billion US dollars.