"It's a human attitude": Commander of the 82nd Brigade names the reason why soldiers go AWOL

The issue of unauthorized departure from a military unit (AWOL) has once again come into the spotlight after the command of the Air Assault Forces of Ukraine, during a meeting with journalists, detailed the reasons why service members leave their units. One of the key points was a statement by Yegor Nozdryakov, commander of the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade, who linked some AWOL cases not to combat conditions, but to how newcomers are treated in the first days after arriving at the unit. According to him, trust in commanders is formed precisely at this stage, and it largely determines whether a fighter will remain in the unit.

Trust is built from the first days

Nozdryakov emphasized that working with replacements begins with more than just combat training. According to him, upon arriving at the unit, a service member must receive proper living conditions, equipment, food, and attention from commanders. "It's a human attitude toward recruits. This is the most important thing," he stated. The commander explained that meeting basic needs and providing quality training help a fighter gain confidence in their command, whereas leaving a newcomer without support and proper conditions can push them toward unauthorized departure.

Personal communication and unit cohesion

Nozdryakov separately focused on the personal communication between commanders and recruits. Along with proper supply and full combat training, in his assessment, this communication is what helps form a cohesive unit. Thus, in his logic, going AWOL is not viewed as an isolated incident, but as a possible consequence of accumulated distrust that arises when a fighter's basic needs and human dignity are ignored in the first days of service.

Who leaves more often: the military ombudsman's perspective

The context of these statements is supplemented by the previously voiced position of military ombudsman Olha Reshetilova. She noted that the highest number of AWOL cases is recorded among recently mobilized personnel who are undergoing basic general military training or have just arrived at units and have not yet participated in combat. At the same time, Reshetilova emphasized that conflicts with command are not the sole or main reason for AWOL, which indicates the multi-causal nature of the phenomenon and that no single factor—neither conditions, nor relationships, nor personal experience—should be viewed in isolation from the rest.

The fear of the infantry and returning from AWOL

Additional perspective is provided by the experience of other units. According to junior lieutenant Viktoriia (Runa) Kovbasyuk, commander of a heavy bomber drone platoon, there are fewer AWOL cases among UAV operators and artillerymen than among infantrymen, and she cited fear associated with infantry service as one of the factors for leaving. At the same time, according to her, there are many cases of returning from AWOL in the brigade: people who returned from unauthorized departure become active UAV operators. The Ministry of Defense, in turn, clarified that military personnel who voluntarily return after going AWOL can only be assigned tasks after official processing—they must be enrolled in the unit's personnel lists and provided with all types of support.

The legal dimension: what happens after prolonged AWOL

The practical side of the issue is illustrated by court rulings. For instance, the Kyiv District Court of Poltava reviewed the case of a mobilized service member who had been AWOL for almost 20 months: he left his deployment site on October 27, 2024, and went into hiding until June 24, 2026, after which he voluntarily reported to the military unit. Criminal proceedings were initiated against him under Part 5 of Article 407 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine; during the pre-trial investigation, he voluntarily approached the prosecutor asking to be returned to service, obtained written consent from the commander of another unit to accept him, and the court took into account that the offense was committed for the first time and that he showed sincere remorse. This case shows that even after prolonged AWOL, the path back to service is possible, but strictly regulated legally.