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Around 80 Ukrainian soldiers have deserted while undergoing military training in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt since 2022, German newspaper Die Zeit reported on August 20, citing security sources.

According to the report, the soldiers had been sent to Germany to receive military training before returning to Ukraine to fight Russia. Some subsequently left training facilities without authorization in an apparent attempt to avoid being sent back to the battlefield.

The number of such cases across Germany is believed to be in the hundreds, according to the report.

The developments come as Ukraine continues to face a severe shortage of military personnel after more than four years of full-scale war. Kyiv has increasingly relied on mobilized recruits as the number of volunteers available for military service has declined.

Germany has become one of the main training locations for Ukrainian troops since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. According to the Bundeswehr, more than 25,000 Ukrainian soldiers had received military training in Germany by early 2026.

The training is conducted as part of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM UA), which was established in 2022.

By early 2026, around 87,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been trained by 22 participating European countries under the mission.

Training programmes include instruction in the operation and maintenance of military equipment, weapons handling, camouflage techniques and first aid.