Ukraine's new defense minister says wide-scale desertions and draft-dodging are major challenges as Russia's invasion continues.

Ukraine's chief of defense estimated Wednesday that 200,000 soldiers have gone absent without official leave during an address to parliament.

Ukraine’s new Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on Wednesday that 200,000 Ukrainian soldiers are officially considered as absent without official leave (AWOL), meaning they have left their positions without permission to do so.

France and the U.K. signed a “Declaration of Intent” on Tuesday to send their forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia.

Ukraine's commander in chief said December was the first month that its drones "neutralized" roughly as many Russians as were called up.

Russia doubled down on its longstanding position of declaring Western forces in Ukraine “legitimate targets” on Thursday, days after France and the UK pledged to send troops there in the event of a peace deal.

Even as France and the UK offer a written commitment to Ukraine to deploy troops in the event of a peace deal, doubts remain whether the US will back those troops in case they come under a Russian attack.

Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff of the UK Armed Forces, has said he must be confident that British troops would be safe if they are sent to Ukraine as part of security guarantees.