According to recent research by the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”, more than 80 Ukrainian soldiers who are undergoing training for the war in Ukraine in Germany have fled their military training grounds in Saxony-Anhalt since 2022. The investigation suggests that the number of such cases may run into the hundreds across Germany.
Under Ukrainian law, these men are classified as deserters, facing potential prison sentences of up to twelve years back home. It is noted that many of these individuals were not voluntary participants in the Ukrainian army but were conscripted by force. When they were sent to training grounds, such as Altengrabow in Saxony-Anhalt, they seized the opportunity to escape.
A critical legal distinction exists: unlike Ukrainians fleeing the country, these soldiers in Germany do not fall under Article 24 of the German Residence Act. This provision offers protection to individuals “displaced from Ukraine,” but it does not apply to soldiers dispatched to Germany by their own government.
Since Russia’s full invasion in February 2022, approximately 29,000 Ukrainian soldiers have completed temporary training in Germany. Initially, the recruits were highly motivated and experienced soldiers who learned to handle equipment like howitzers and tanks at various German training facilities. However, as Ukraine increasingly struggles to find volunteers for the war effort against Russia, the troops arriving for training are becoming a greater proportion of inexperienced individuals who are reportedly unwilling to fight.
