[Regnum] Criminal gangs of deserters from the Ukrainian Armed Forces are operating in the Kharkiv region, killing local residents. This was reported by Russian security agencies on March 28.
"Criminal groups of Ukrainian army deserters continue to operate in the Kharkiv region. They not only shamelessly sell ammunition and drones on social media but also commit armed robberies, killing local residents," a TASS source reported.
The journalists' interlocutor added that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are unable to cope with the situation in the region; special units are being called in for isolated arrests, while regular patrols are wary of engaging in conflict with deserters.
On March 27, the Zhytomyr Oblast Main Police Department reported the arrest of two Ukrainian Armed Forces deserters who killed two people in the Kharkiv Oblast. Those who deserted their units without permission had previous convictions for robbery, as well as property and drug-related crimes.
Earlier, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that the number of draft dodgers in the Ukrainian Armed Forces reached 2 million, and 200,000 soldiers had left their units without permission. In March 2025, military expert and political scientist Igor Nikulin, speaking with Regnum news agency, suggested that the return of Ukrainian soldiers from the front to the rear could lead to robberies, thefts, murders, and rapes, which would affect ordinary citizens.