Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Desertions a growing problem for Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published 6 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is forced to watch as more and more of the country's soldiers desert and avoid mobilization.
4 minute read

More and more Ukrainian soldiers are deserting or avoiding conscription to escape the protracted war with Russia. According to data from the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, more cases of desertion have been reported in 2024 than in the previous two years of war.

The lack of rotation and the absence of reinforcements are said to be key factors behind the trend.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj recently admitted in an interview with Ukrainian Telemarathon, a televised fundraising event that runs for many hours a day and aims to raise money for a charitable, political or other cause, that the number of deserters in Ukraine’s military increased sharply in 2024.

In particular, the number of desertions escalated during the spring and summer.

– AWOL cases increased in 2024, but since September or October it has decreased. A long war is a long war. Our people are persevering, and people are getting tired. They are getting tired everywhere, Zelenskyj admitted during the call.

NATO-trained French brigade hit hard

According to Newsweek magazine, Ukrainian authorities have launched more than 100,000 prosecutions of desertion since the war began in February 2022. In 2024, more than 60,000 cases have reportedly been registered up to October.

In several registered cases, soldiers are leaving their positions without permission, for reasons such as lack of rotation and an increasingly tense war situation. Factors that have made desertion the only option for many, reports the Financial Times.

Ukraine has recently launched a review of the French-trained 155th “Anne of Kyiv” Brigade, following allegations of desertion, mismanagement and poor leadership.

Reports suggest that more than 1 700 soldiers have deserted from the brigade, leading to organizational chaos and raising questions about military governance in the region.

At the same time, at least 50 soldiers are reported to have already escaped during training in France. An investigation is now underway to clarify the extent and causes of the problems.

Reinforcements are delayed

The Ukrainian government has tried to counter the problem by decriminalizing first-time desertions, provided that soldiers return to duty before 1 January 2025. At the same time, the age of mobilization has been lowered to 25 and penalties for avoiding conscription have been increased.

Despite this, there are widespread reports of problems in attracting new recruits. Video clips on social media show military personnel conducting drafts at bus stops, storming workplaces and knocking on doors in residential areas – further reinforcing resistance to mobilization.

Zelensky says the lack of reserves is a contributing factor to Russia’s advance.

– There are not many reserves. Why? Because not everything arrived to supply the reserves.

According to Dmytro Lytvyn, Ukraine’s presidential office and communications adviser, delays in the delivery of weapons and equipment have further complicated the situation.

– We cannot compensate for our partners’ delays in decision-making and supply chains with the lives of our soldiers and of the youngest of our guys, an unnamed source in the Ukrainian presidential office told Reuters.

Far-reaching consequences

According to the Associated Press, desertion was one of the main reasons for the fall of the Ukrainian fortress of Vuhledar in October.

– It is clear that now, frankly speaking, we have already squeezed the maximum out of our people, commented what is said to be an anonymous officer of Ukraine’s 72nd brigade.

In 2024, Russia has made significant advances in eastern Ukraine, including the capture of Avdiivka a city of great strategic importance that has long served as a line of defense for Ukrainian forces.

Meanwhile, Russian forces are now threatening Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub for transportation and military supplies.

As both sides struggle to fill their ranks, the US has called on Ukraine to further lower the age of mobilization to 18, a proposal that has faced strong criticism.

Ukraina soldater
Ukrainian soldiers at the front (archive photo). Photo: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine/CC BY-SA 2.0

Uncertain future

It remains to be seen how political developments in the outside world will affect the situation in Ukraine. Especially given US President-elect Donald Trump’s promises to change US policy on Ukraine.

Trump has stated, among other things, that he plans to reduce military aid to Ukraine and “end the conflict in one day”, a statement that has raised questions about the future of US engagement in the region.

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Trump threatens to send Tomahawks to Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published yesterday 14:22
– By Editorial Staff
Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile
2 minute read

US President Donald Trump says Ukraine could receive long-range Tomahawk missiles if the war is not resolved. He acknowledges that such arms deliveries would constitute “a new step of aggression” toward Russia.

President Donald Trump announced during an appearance on Sunday that he is prepared to bring up the issue of delivering Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, if the war does not end in the near future.

If this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, according to reports from Associated Press.

He emphasized at the same time that he would like to understand what Ukraine intends to do with the weapons, to avoid an unwanted escalation in the war.

Like Trump himself, however, several sources have expressed reservations about an actual delivery. Reuters reports that it is unlikely the US will send Tomahawks to Ukraine, as existing stockpiles are already earmarked for the Navy and other military purposes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has long desired Tomahawk missiles from the US. Montage. Photo: IAEA, Matt Johnson/Right Cheer/CC BY 2.0

Could strike targets deep inside Russia

Tomahawk missiles have an estimated range of approximately 2,500 km (1,550 miles), which would give Ukraine the capability to strike targets deep inside Russia – including Moscow – if the deliveries become reality.

Some critics and analysts question, however, how much such a weapon could affect the conflict on the ground. According to reports, Trump’s closest advisers are skeptical that Tomahawk missiles would significantly change the combat dynamics.

The Kremlin is now issuing strong warnings about consequences if Tomahawks are delivered to Ukraine. Russian representatives claim that such an action would dramatically escalate the conflict and set the stage for a new chapter in the war.

Russia further argues that Ukrainian forces would not be able to handle such a sophisticated system without direct American participation.

Previous statements from Vladimir Putin have also indicated that delivery of such weapons would represent a qualitatively new stage in the conflict.

The rhetoric between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump increasingly strained. Photo: US Department of Defense

Trump: “Sort of made a decision”

Trump has previously hinted that he has sort of made a decision regarding delivery of Tomahawks, but that he wants more information about what Ukraine actually plans to do with them. He has also emphasized that the weapons would not be sent directly by the US to Ukraine, but rather through the NATO alliance.

If an agreement is reached and the weapons are actually delivered, difficult technical, organizational and diplomatic challenges remain to be solved.

Ukraine would need operational capacity, training, target selection systems and support to handle long-range offensive capability.

The threat to arm Ukraine with Tomahawks marks a clear shift in rhetoric from the Trump administration and an increased willingness to use the war’s heaviest symbols in diplomatic pressure.

Between words and reality stand logistical constraints and political concerns – not least from Moscow.

If the decision is made – and the weapons are delivered – we may face a new escalation in the conflict where the risks of direct confrontation between the great powers could become reality.

Islamist leader monitored by Swedish security police – now celebrated drone specialist in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published 8 October 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Viktor Gaziev is clear that he would never have joined the war without the involvement of Swedish authorities.
3 minute read

Sweden’s security police (Säpo) considered him such a dangerous threat that he was kept under daily surveillance. But in June 2023, Viktor Gaziev disappeared – and now he has been found in Ukraine where he has become a celebrated drone expert, received awards and met President Zelensky.

He claims that Swedish authorities pressured him to go to war and escorted him there.

Viktor Gaziev was one of the so-called six imams who in 2019 were classified as a serious threat to Sweden’s national security. The Swedish government decided to deport him, but the deportation was never carried out – Gaziev was deemed at risk of torture and persecution in his homeland Russia.

Instead, the radical Islamist was kept under extensive surveillance with daily reporting requirements to police. Until he suddenly disappeared.

Swedish public television SVT’s investigative program Uppdrag granskning has now tracked him down – not in Sweden, but as a drone specialist in the Ukrainian army.

Pressured to go to war

How did an internationally wanted person without travel documents and with daily reporting requirements at Gävle police station in central Sweden end up in Ukraine?

Gaziev himself describes it as the result of pressure from Sweden’s Security Police (Säpo). He claims that Säpo arranged a private meeting with his ex-wife and urged her to persuade him to leave. The incentive was allegedly a promise that the agency would not hinder her application for Swedish citizenship.

Several other people classified as security threats confirm to Uppdrag granskning that they received similar proposals to go to Ukraine.

However, Security Police operational chief Fredrik Hallström completely rejects the claims: “We do not conduct the type of activities alleged here”, he maintains, continuing:

— We do not suggest or try to persuade anyone to travel to a specific place. Least of all to war-torn Ukraine.

Military intelligence contact planned the trip

In chat conversations that Uppdrag granskning has accessed, it emerges how the trip to Ukraine was planned in detail. A person who identifies himself as a Swedish soldier discusses flight tickets to Poland and which border crossing they should use. Gaziev claims the person works for MUST, Sweden’s military intelligence service.

In the chat, Gaziev sends his bank details and shows military equipment he bought for the war. According to Gaziev, it was his contact person at the Security Police who gave him the contact to MUST.

— They talked to the military service in Poland. It was a man and a woman who flew with me to Warsaw without documents, without a passport, just a Swedish driver’s license.

MUST has refused to comment on the allegations at all.

Ukrainian commander confirms Swedish involvement

However, Murad Zumzo, a commander in the Ukrainian army, gives a completely different picture than Säpo. He says he spoke on the phone with a Swedish person who matched the name in the chat – and that the Swede had a central role in getting Gaziev to Ukraine.

— He made contact and took him to the Polish-Ukrainian border. I sent two of my guys there. The Swedes and Poles handed him over, says Zumzo.

Viktor Gaziev is clear that he would not have joined the war without Swedish authorities’ involvement and he took Säpo’s alleged promise about citizenship for his ex-wife very seriously.

But today he believes he was manipulated – his ex-wife was denied her citizenship application with reference to information from the Security Police itself.

Norwegian-led training base for Ukrainian soldiers opened in Poland

The new cold war

Published 2 October 2025
– By Editorial Staff
EU representatives visit Camp Jomsborg during the opening ceremony.
2 minute read

A Norwegian-led training center for Ukrainian troops has opened in southeastern Poland. Camp Jomsborg can accommodate up to 1,200 soldiers at a time and will focus on drone warfare.

The facility in Nowa Dęba-Lipa was inaugurated on Wednesday in the presence of defense ministers from Norway and Estonia, as well as representatives from Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark.

Camp Jomsborg, built by engineers from Norway’s Brigade Nord, represents another escalation of Western support for Ukraine since the war with Russia broke out in 2022. Poland has since become a central hub for logistics and training of Ukrainian forces.

According to Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the training will be conducted by instructors from allied NATO countries, with particular focus on modern drone technology.

— There is no other army in the world as well trained in drones and counter-drone systems as Ukraine’s, he claimed at the inauguration ceremony.

Around 250 Norwegian soldiers are already stationed at the site, and five rotations of 500 troops each are planned for next year. Estonia has also sent personnel, and more nations are expected to follow.

“Not a one-way street”

Kosiniak-Kamysz argued that the cooperation not only benefits Ukraine, but that the allied countries also benefit from Ukrainian combat experience.

— This is not a one-way street. An important element is that we will draw on Ukrainian experience. Right next to us is a drone launch strip, the defense minister said.

He emphasized that the base symbolizes NATO countries’ unity and claimed that “peace requires strength, skill, training, a well-prepared army, a strong alliance and resilient societies”.

On the same day as the inauguration, EU leaders agreed to create a so-called “drone wall” along the bloc’s eastern flank, following claims from Poland and Estonia about Russian airspace violations. Moscow has dismissed the accusations as groundless and accused the EU of trying to incite a war against Russia.

Hungary: Brussels prepares for war – and Europeans will pay the price

The new cold war

Published 2 October 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó sounds the alarm: EU leadership under Ursula von der Leyen is sacrificing Europe for Ukraine.
2 minute read

“Brussels is preparing for war and they want Europeans to pay the price”, writes Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in a harsh attack against the EU’s new seven-year budget.

He warns that the union’s power holders are prioritizing Ukraine’s military over Europe’s own and very urgent problems.

In the post, published ahead of the informal EU summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, Szijjártó emphasized that Europe’s security and economic situation has deteriorated sharply as a result of failed decisions in Brussels.

“Brussels is preparing for war, and they want Europeans, including Hungarians, to pay the price. The proposed budget for the next seven years is much more about Ukraine than about the European Union itself”, wrote Szijjártó.

He described the draft as “a Ukraine budget”, focused on arming the country and keeping its state structure alive, while Europe’s own urgent needs are neglected. Instead, Brussels should address declining competitiveness, secure energy supply, and rebuild the foundations for European growth, he argued.

“But instead, the European Commission wants to send European taxpayers’ money – including Hungarians’ money – to Ukraine, to finance the Ukrainian state and military”, the minister warned.

Wants to see “patriotic shift”

Szijjártó emphasized that Hungary rejects the idea that the country’s citizens’ money should be used for war efforts.

“We don’t want Hungarian taxpayers’ money to be sent to Ukraine, we don’t want it to be spent on war, and we don’t want it to cover the arming and operation of the Ukrainian military”, Szijjártó explained further.

The minister concluded by stating that the EU can only change course if a “patriotic shift” occurs in Brussels.

“Until then, Brussels will remain committed to pro-war, pro-migration, and pro-gender policies. But we don’t want war, we don’t want migration, we don’t want gender madness, and we don’t want Hungarians’ money to be siphoned off to Ukraine”, he wrote.

The day before Szijjártó’s statement, on September 30, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán directed harsh criticism at Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in a post on X.

“Dear Donald Tusk, You may think that you are at war with Russia, but Hungary is not. Neither is the European Union. You are playing a dangerous game with the lives and security of millions of Europeans. This is very bad!” Orbán emphasized.

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