Ukraine’s mobilization crisis: 200,000 AWOL soldiers and 2 million dodging the draft
Ukraine’s new defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, told parliament that about 200,000 soldiers are AWOL and roughly 2 million are wanted for draft dodging, underscoring a deep manpower strain as Kyiv defends against a larger foe. Zelensky signaled broader mobilization reforms, while Fedorov—the youngest to hold the post—pledges to leverage drones and technology from dozens of domestic firms to strengthen Ukraine’s military.
