August M
Ukraine’s intelligence service says Russia is facing a surge of troop departures across multiple fronts.
In a statement posted to its official Telegram channel, Ukraine’s HUR intelligence service alleged that more than 25,000 soldiers and officers from Russia’s Central Military District have “independently left their units” between November 2024 and July 2025, as cited by TVP World.
The outlet reports that these departures range from frontline withdrawals to disappearances from rear-area bases.
HUR said troops are quitting in several ways: “Some leave their positions directly on the battlefield, others disappear from permanent deployment points, and part of the military personnel simply do not return from medical treatment or vacations.”
TVP World notes that the intelligence service claims the pattern spans various fronts and installations.
The station highlights that Russia has not publicly addressed these allegations, and battlefield information from either side is difficult to verify.
Missing with equipment
TVP World reports that HUR documented cases of troops not only departing but also taking weapons and machinery with them.
According to the agency, there have been “more than 30 such incidents in 2024–2025 alone,” involving personnel who disappeared “together with weapons and even combat equipment.”
HUR attributed the trend to what it described as “unbearable service conditions,” citing “widespread hazing, a catastrophic lack of supplies, and mass deployments to so-called ‘meat assaults’.”
The term, used by Ukrainian intelligence, refers to high-casualty frontal attacks carried out under Russian command.
Claims of executions
The outlet notes that HUR also pointed to internal Russian military documents that allegedly list “failure to follow orders” as an official cause of death for some servicemen.
TVP World reports that the intelligence service ended its statement with an appeal directed at Russian troops:
“Every Russian serviceman who does not want to die for the Putin regime has a chance to save his life.
Reporter’s note
HUR’s assertions cannot be independently verified, and Russia has not commented on the specifics.
The competing claims highlight how both sides use information disclosures in parallel with battlefield operations.
If accurate, the figures would indicate substantial morale and discipline problems within Russia’s Central Military District during high-intensity warfare.
Sources: TVP World, HUR
This article is made and published by August M, who may have used AI in the preparation
