Fewer than 1% of over 52,000 Ukrainian soldiers trained in UK went AWOL during exercises

Over the past two and a half years, the United Kingdom has trained more than 52,000 members of the Ukrainian defence forces to fight in the war against Russia. Fewer than 1% of them have gone AWOL and claimed asylum in the UK.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda article Operation Kudu: Ukrainian soldiers training in the United Kingdom

Quote from Interflex commander Colonel Andy Boardman: "A small number of the more than 52,000 soldiers who trained with us over the past two and a half years went missing. It’s less than 1%. The vast majority of the fighters who come to us are highly motivated and dedicated to their mission."

Details: A high-ranking source in Ukraine’s military command told Ukrainska Pravda that only two soldiers went AWOL during training to claim asylum in the UK in 2024 and 12 others have done so since the beginning of 2025.

For reference: Operation Interflex is a programme for training Ukrainian soldiers according to British Army standards.

Background: In early January 2025, it was reported that around 50 soldiers from the 155th Mechanised Anna of Kyiv Brigade deserted during training exercises in France in autumn 2024.

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