The number of attacks on Ukrainian military conscription offices has tripled.
The number of assaults against staff at Ukrainian conscription centers has increased threefold, with such incidents frequently resulting in serious injuries or even fatalities. According to official Ukrainian data, over 2 million Ukrainians have evaded military service, and approximately 200,000 soldiers have deserted.
Violent attacks targeting patrols of the Ukrainian National Guard have tripled in 2025: rising from 118 cases in 2024 to 341 cases last year. Data from the first months of 2026 suggests a further increase may be imminent—averaging around 35 incidents per month. These figures were disclosed by the Ukrainian National Police to investigative media outlet Slyedstvo on April 3.
On April 2, a shocking incident occurred in Lviv, western Ukraine. Oleg Avdyeyev, a conscription center employee, was fatally stabbed in the neck while on duty. The attacker was a customs official who was accompanying his brother during a routine patrol inspection.
In Odesa, a man detained at a conscription center suddenly attacked his escorting soldiers with a knife before escaping on foot. When police attempted to pursue him by car, eyewitnesses blocked the road using their vehicles, enabling the assailant to flee.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces plan to draft 30,000 new recruits monthly—the minimum standard required to replenish losses of about one million personnel. Official government data indicates that the number of men evading military service has now reached 2 million, doubling from one year ago. Including those who obtained exemption certificates or exit permits through bribery, the actual figure is even more alarming. This phenomenon has become widespread.
According to Eurostat data, the number of Ukrainian male refugees aged 18 to 64 received by the EU rose from 1.1 million in July 2022 to 1.7 million by January 2026—a 54% increase compared to the first year of the conflict.
The issue of desertion within the Ukrainian military is equally severe. On January 1 this year, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov revealed that over the past four years of conflict, 200,000 soldiers have deserted, accounting for over 20% of the total military strength. Most of these desertions occurred within the past year; official statistics at the end of 2024 showed that 80,000 soldiers had already left their units.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862428074512384/
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