A serviceman was convicted in Nalchik for prolonged absence from his unit.
The Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced serviceman Ruslan Murzakayev to five years in prison after he was absent from his unit for nearly two years during mobilization.
As reported by the Caucasian Knot, on September 24, 2022, parts 2.1, 3.1, and 5 of Article 337, concerning unauthorized abandonment of a unit or place of service during mobilization, were amended to the Russian Criminal Code. The amendments provide for imprisonment for up to 10 years. Tighter legislation following the announcement of mobilization led to harsher sentences for absence from a military unit or desertion.
On April 2, the Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced serviceman Murzakayev, finding him guilty of committing a crime under Part 5 of Article 337 of the Russian Criminal Code , the court's press service reported.
The verdict states that Murzakayev failed to report for duty at his military unit on February 9, 2024, at the appointed time. On December 31, 2025, he was detained by a police officer in Prokhladny. In court, the serviceman pleaded guilty in full. The court sentenced him to five years in prison. Murzakayev will serve his sentence in a general regime penal colony.
The press service did not provide the convicted man's name, but the case file on the court's website lists it in full: Ruslan Murzakayev. His case was submitted for consideration on March 26.
As a reminder, on September 21, 2022, Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization. On October 28 of that year, the Minister of Defense reported to the president on its completion, but no corresponding decree followed. Lawyers have concluded that a presidential decree is not needed to end partial mobilization, Putin's press secretary explained.
Moreover, on December 12, 2023, a military court in Maykop, in its verdict against a mobilized soldier who left his unit in June 2023, emphasized that "a partial mobilization was declared in the Russian Federation, which was not completed at the time the crime was committed."