A serious incident erupted in the Vinnytsia region, during which a soldier who had deserted his unit offered armed resistance to officers of the Military Law Enforcement Service (MLES). To stop the attack, a special rapid response unit had to be deployed.
The events unfolded on July 8 in the private sector of one of the settlements. MLES representatives were conducting a routine document check when a man wanted for unauthorized absence from his unit (AWOL) came into view. Instead of cooperating, he began to behave extremely aggressively.
Escalation of the conflict
The situation quickly got out of control. Three other unknown individuals joined the conflict, beginning to damage the military's official vehicle. While the search group tried to hold the situation, the offender seized an axe he found on the adjacent territory.
"The offender had already seized an axe... and continued to resist, inflicting bodily harm on two members of the search group," the MLES press service reported.
Arrival of "Scorpion"
To neutralize the threat, the special rapid response and sudden action unit "SCORPION" was called in. The professional actions of the fighters allowed them to detain the man armed with an axe and hand him over to the National Police.
As a result of the shootout and fight, two MLES officers were injured. One of them was hospitalized; both received the necessary medical assistance.
Investigative actions
The detainee invoked Article 63 of the Constitution of Ukraine and refused to give any explanations. Currently, the question of issuing him an official suspicion and selecting a preventive measure is being resolved.
The police entered the corresponding information into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations regarding three episodes under Article 345 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (resistance to a representative of authority). In addition, the leadership of the Vinnytsia Zonal Department of the MLES appointed an internal investigation to clarify all circumstances of the incident.
Context: rise in aggression
This case is not isolated. Recently, there has been a rise in incidents in Ukraine involving soldiers evading service. In particular, on the same day in the Podilskyi district of the Odesa region, a man with AWOL status detonated a grenade during a police document check, injuring two law enforcement officers.
At the same time, the state is trying to regulate the situation with deserters through digital tools. Soldiers of the National Guard who deserted their units before June 12, 2026, can return to service via the "Army+" app, independently selecting a unit for further service.
