Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating cases where more than 2,500 soldiers took unauthorized absence from their units, pursuing desertion proceedings against 8,652 servicemen, and looking into 107 cases of other forms of evasion of military service, Radio Liberty cited Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoliy Matios as saying.
Matios also said crimes in the armed forces rocketed in number by a factor of 4.5 last year to 6,159.
He said the crime rate in the military had been rising more rapidly, mainly because of service evasions, since the military operation was launched in eastern Ukraine.
Proceedings have begun against more than 8,000 servicemen after the start of 2015, the prosecutor said.
