BERLIN, August 20. /TASS/. Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers undergoing training in Germany have reportedly not returned to their units after completing their instruction, according to Die Zeit. The newspaper reveals that since 2022, more than 80 Ukrainian troops have deserted a training facility in Saxony-Anhalt alone, with several hundred cases documented across the country.

Under Ukrainian law, these individuals are classified as deserters and could face up to 12 years in prison if they return home.

Many of these soldiers did not volunteer for military service; instead, they were forcibly conscripted. When sent for training at the Altengrabow military training ground in Saxony-Anhalt, they seized the opportunity to escape. Unlike civilians fleeing Ukraine to seek refuge in Germany, Ukrainian military personnel in Germany are not protected under Section 24 of the Residence Act, which offers asylum to those "forced out of Ukraine." This legal distinction means that military personnel sent to Germany do not benefit from the same protections.

Since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, approximately 29,000 Ukrainian service members have undergone training at around 60 military facilities across Germany. Their instruction included marksmanship, camouflage techniques, first aid, and other basic military skills. While the German Ministry of Defense acknowledged that some soldiers have escaped from training sites, there is no centralized system tracking these incidents nationwide.