A Soldier Chose a Radical Way to Publicize Troop Fatigue: He Deserted

For months, Serhii Hnezdilov, a Ukrainian soldier, pushed for troops exhausted by years of war with Russia to be replaced with fresh conscripts.He expressed his concerns in interviews, on social networks and in a podcast, drawing on his five years of fighting in an infantry brigade.But Mr.

Hnezdilov, 24, said his calls went unanswered.So last month, he took a radical step that he hoped would focus attention on his cause: He deserted and then publicly announced it on social media and in news outlets.“I was left with no other option but to leave, slam the door very loudly and force people to finally start talking about this problem,” Mr.

Hnezdilov said in a video interview with The New York Times on Oct.1 from a secret location where he was hiding from the Ukrainian authorities.And talk people did.

Soldiers, politicians and other public figures voiced their opinions in lengthy social media posts.Some condemned his actions as treason and called for punishment.

Others acknowledged his concerns about the need to rotate troops but argued that desertion was not the solution.Some people also supported him, viewing his act as a much-needed wake-up call.“It is definitely a big debate,” said Tymofii Brik, a sociologist and rector of the Kyiv School of Economics, adding that Mr.

Hnezdilov had brought a sensitive topic, mostly discussed in private circles, into the public sphere.“People were triggered.”...