About 200,000 soldiers have been dismissed from duty without authorization, says new Ukrainian Defense Chief

Ukraine estimates that around 200.000 of its soldiers have gone absent from duty without leave (AWOL), meaning they have abandoned their positions without authorization, the new Defense Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, announced on Wednesday.

Speaking in the Ukrainian parliament ahead of the vote that confirmed him as the new defense chief, Fedorov also said that about 2 million Ukrainians are "looking" to avoid military service.

The Ukrainian military has been under pressure for years as it struggles to defend the country against a much larger and more powerful enemy. Conditions along the front lines have been brutal, as Kiev's troops often struggle to hold key positions even when outnumbered and outgunned.

Rumors of low morale and high desertion rates have long circulated, but Fedorov's comments mark the first time a Ukrainian official has revealed the extent of the problem.

According to Ukrainian law, all men between the ages of 18 and 60 are required to register with the army and carry relevant documents with them at all times, although only those between the ages of 25 and 60 are subject to mobilization.

The state of emergency (martial law) in Ukraine prohibits all men between the ages of 23 and 60 who are eligible for military service from leaving the country, but tens of thousands have fled illegally.

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After meeting with Fedorov on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "broader changes" are needed in the country's mobilization process.

Fedorov is the youngest person ever to serve as Ukraine's defense minister. He will turn 35 next week, as he replaces Denys Shmyhalin, who became Ukraine's first deputy prime minister and energy minister.

Fedorov previously served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, a role in which he oversaw, among other things, Ukraine's successful drone warfare project.