[Goose]

Let's put a little perspective on the situation.

My understanding is there were an incredible number of soldiers in the USA Civil War (ACW) on both the North and the South sides that left their military units before their tour of duty was up.  That's not to say they didn't go back to their units or join other units, but they often left to take care of family or their homes.  Remember that the Russian-Ukrainian battle is happening where the Ukrainian families live.  If you were stationed in Central California and you heard your home & family was bombed, wouldn't you be tempted to go help out at home?  You wouldn't want to wait for the paperwork that might never come.

Indeed many Ukrainian soldiers do leave their units temporarily. Others leave their units (because they don't like their commanders usually) and join other units that are more to their liking. However, these fluctuating strength numbers make it very difficult to assign units to specific tasks. They may be greatly under strength and not capable of executing tasks a unit of their Table of Organization size should easily accomplish. The Germans in WWII had a big problem with this disparity in capability. Their losses were not due to desertion but rather casualties. They didn't "top-up" units but rather fought them until they collapsed. However, their planners had to keep a separate list of which regiments were actually company strength formations. Despite attempting to deal with the various actual strengths (as opposed to TO strength) "regiments" were often given stretches of front to defend they could in no way even fully patrol, let alone defend, due to lack of personnel.

As for draft dodging, I was a young adult male in the Vietnam era.   Admittedly, that war was very different than the Russian invasion.

Indeed! The Vietnam war was a war of choice. The Viet Cong was not going to invade the United States. In Ukraine, you may have Russians on your doorstep at any moment. Furthermore, only a small fraction of the US population would be drafted. It wasn't as if any particular person evading the draft would materially affect troop strength. They would just draft somebody else. Ukraine OTOH needs every soldier it can find, even more desperately in some MOS. The situation in Ukraine is critical. The Vietnam war had no similar effects on the US population as a whole. Even for those who were drafted the casualty rate in Vietnam was NOTHING like the casualty rate of Ukrainian infantry in the current war. On top of that you would only be in country for 12 months (13 if you were a Marine) more or less. Ukrainian troops nominally are drafted for a 12 month service but that has been extended until the end of "the emergency". Of course, after discharge you are still "in country" and you might get killed anyway, either by Russian soldiers or Russian missiles/drones. No comparison to the US situation in Vietnam is IMO possible.

[Goose]

Let's put a little perspective on the situation.

My understanding is there were an incredible number of soldiers in the USA Civil War (ACW) on both the North and the South sides that left their military units before their tour of duty was up.  That's not to say they didn't go back to their units or join other units, but they often left to take care of family or their homes.  Remember that the Russian-Ukrainian battle is happening where the Ukrainian families live.  If you were stationed in Central California and you heard your home & family was bombed, wouldn't you be tempted to go help out at home?  You wouldn't want to wait for the paperwork that might never come.

Indeed many Ukrainian soldiers do leave their units temporarily. Others leave their units (because they don't like their commanders usually) and join other units that are more to their liking. However, these fluctuating strength numbers make it very difficult to assign units to specific tasks. They may be greatly under strength and not capable of executing tasks a unit of their Table of Organization size should easily accomplish. The Germans in WWII had a big problem with this disparity in capability. Their losses were not due to desertion but rather casualties. They didn't "top-up" units but rather fought them until they collapsed. However, their planners had to keep a separate list of which regiments were actually company strength formations. Despite attempting to deal with the various actual strengths (as opposed to TO strength) "regiments" were often given stretches of front to defend they could in no way even fully patrol, let alone defend, due to lack of personnel.

As for draft dodging, I was a young adult male in the Vietnam era.   Admittedly, that war was very different than the Russian invasion.

Indeed! The Vietnam war was a war of choice. The Viet Cong was not going to invade the United States. In Ukraine, you may have Russians on your doorstep at any moment. Furthermore, only a small fraction of the US population would be drafted. It wasn't as if any particular person evading the draft would materially affect troop strength. They would just draft somebody else. Ukraine OTOH needs every soldier it can find, even more desperately in some MOS. The situation in Ukraine is critical. The Vietnam war had no similar effects on the US population as a whole. Even for those who were drafted the casualty rate in Vietnam was NOTHING like the casualty rate of Ukrainian infantry in the current war. On top of that you would only be in country for 12 months (13 if you were a Marine) more or less. Ukrainian troops nominally are drafted for a 12 month service but that has been extended until the end of "the emergency". Of course, after discharge you are still "in country" and you might get killed anyway, either by Russian soldiers or Russian missiles/drones. No comparison to the US situation in Vietnam is IMO possible.