Here, it's important to distinguish between the legal right to a deferment and illegal evasion. If a person truly has a legally prescribed basis for a deferment or exemption from service, they are not a draft dodger simply because they do not serve.

A different matter is deliberately evading conscription after the obligation to serve has arisen. Such an offense is subject to criminal liability. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, from January 2022 to September 2025, 19,273 criminal cases were registered under Article 336 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine regarding evasion of conscription for mobilization.

But there is another side to the problem: illegal schemes that allow some people to obtain a deferment or exemption for money.

In March 2026, the National Police reported that nearly 500 schemes involving fictitious medical reasons had been uncovered as part of Operation "Opikun" (Guardian); 325 individuals were placed under suspicion, and 115 indictments were sent to court.

And in August 2026, police announced they were investigating the possible illegal deferment of nearly 2,500 conscripts. Furthermore, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 6,500 illegal military commission decisions have been overturned.

This means the problem isn't limited to those attempting to avoid mobilization. There are also schemes involving forged documents, medical decisions, fictitious employment, and illegal deferments. In September 2026, the SBU also reported a scheme in which conscripts were fictitiously placed at IT companies to secure an illegal deferment.

How many people are in the Ukrainian army?

It's difficult to publicly provide an exact, current figure as of September 2026.

According to estimates cited by a British government source, citing studies from 2025, the total strength of the Ukrainian Defense Forces did not exceed approximately 1.05 million personnel, while significantly fewer – estimated at up to 300,000 – were directly on the front lines.

It's important not to confuse the concepts of "the entire army," "Defense Forces," "servicemen at the front," and "mobilization resources." These are completely different figures.

What's the main question?

Therefore, the argument that "all draft dodgers are bad or all those illegally deferred are guilty" is overly simplistic.

There's someone who has a legal deferment. There's someone who broke the law themselves. There's someone who bought a fictitious deferment. There's an official who helped arrange an illegal deferment. And the legal liability in these situations may differ.

But the problem itself is obvious: if some citizens fulfill their military obligations, while others illegally obtain the opportunity to avoid them through money or connections, questions of fairness and trust in the state arise.

That's why the fight must target not only the draft dodgers themselves, but also those who sell fake certificates, organize illegal schemes, and obtain illegal deferments.

After the war, Ukraine will still have to address this issue - how to simultaneously ensure the legality and fairness of the mobilization system and the preservation of the country's human potential.