A record number of Ukrainian soldiers are reportedly deserting their posts as the country continues to struggle against Russian forces, with Moscow continuing to make advances in the east.

Official statistics show a stark rise in Ukrainian soldiers abandoning their posts this year, according to Hotnews. From January to October 2024, prosecutors opened 60,000 criminal cases for desertion — a figure that doubles the total for the previous two years combined.

There have been more Ukrainian deserters between January and October 2024 than in the previous two years of the war with Russia.

With no end in sight to the ongoing war with Russia, tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have deserted their posts, creating a “critical” problem military officials only expect will worsen with time.