In Barnaul, two servicemen were sentenced to 5 and 6 years for deserting their unit

The court in Barnaul sentenced two servicemen, Sergei Malyshev and Alexander Poltarakin, to five and six years in prison, respectively, on the charge of involuntary desertion. This is reported on the court’s website.

Poltarakin, who was called up for service as part of the mobilization, is accused of leaving the unit twice. The court report states that he “wasted his time at his own discretion.” Malyshev was also mobilized, but in December 2022 he left the unit to “take a break from his duties” and “spend time with friends.” In February, he learned that he was wanted and himself came to the military prosecutor’s office.

Azamat Baendinov, a military contractor, was also convicted on charges of involuntarily leaving his post. He was sentenced to three years of conditional imprisonment. He allegedly did not report for duty within the time limit established by law, but later voluntarily came to the military commissariat. The court considered Baendinov’s participation in the war against Ukraine as a mitigating circumstance.

• As of the end of April 2023, Russian military courts have received 1,064 cases against deserters – servicemen who voluntarily left their place of service, refused to obey orders, or deserted. According to Mediazona, the largest increase in criminal cases against refuseniks occurred in March 2023, when about 400 cases were sent to the Russian garrison courts.
• In September 2022, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, signed a law on amendments to the Criminal Code, which increased prison terms for leaving the post of service during hostilities and mobilization. The first criminal case was initiated in December 2022 in Murmansk.