The serviceman was found guilty in Nalchik for two episodes of absence from the unit.
The court in Nalchik sentenced serviceman Arthur Ulbashov to five years and one month in prison for two absences from service during mobilization.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 24, 2022, parts 2.1, 3.1, and part 5 of article 337 regarding the unauthorized leaving of a unit or place of service during mobilization were introduced into the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The amendments provide for imprisonment for up to 10 years. The tightening of legislation after the announcement of mobilization led to harsher sentences for absence from a military unit or desertion.
On September 21, 2022, Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization. On October 28 of the same year, the Minister of Defense reported to the president about its completion, but no corresponding decree followed. Lawyers concluded that a presidential decree is not needed to complete partial mobilization, explained Putin's press secretary. At the same time, on December 12, 2023, a military court in Maykop, in the sentence against a mobilized individual who left the unit in June 2023, emphasized that "partial mobilization has been announced in the Russian Federation, which at the time of the crime was not completed".
According to the case materials, on January 16 and February 24, 2026, that is, in both cases during mobilization, Ulbashov twice failed to report for duty at the appointed time at the military unit in Kabardino-Balkaria, reported the press service of the Nalchik garrison military court on its website.
On February 4, Ulbashov voluntarily arrived at the military unit, and on June 26, he voluntarily appeared at the military investigative department in Mozdok in North Ossetia, spending all this time at his discretion at his place of residence.
The Nalchik garrison military court found Arthur Ulbashov guilty on two counts and sentenced him to five years and one month of imprisonment for the aggregate of crimes. The convicted person will serve his sentence in a general regime colony.
The court's press service does not name the convicted individual, however, according to the criminal case card on the court's website, the serviceman is Arthur Ulbashov. The case was submitted to the court on August 5, and the sentence was delivered on August 13.
"Caucasian Knot" also reported that earlier the court in Nalchik sentenced serviceman Salim Zhigunov to six years in prison, finding him guilty of being absent from service for more than one month.