In Omsk, a soldier was sentenced to 5 years for leaving his unit during mobilization

The Omsk Garrison Military Court sentenced junior sergeant Maksym Prokopenko to five years in a general regime colony in the case of desertion during the mobilization period (Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). This was reported by the press service of the court on Tuesday.

Prokopenko, as stated in the message, left the unit in Omsk “without valid reasons” in November 2022. In April of this year, he was found during search operations and taken to the military commandant’s office. The press service notes that the sergeant’s sentence has not yet entered into force.

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. The largest number of cases against refuseniks, as specified by “Mediazon” journalists, was initiated under the article about the arbitrary abandonment of a unit during mobilization.

After the announcement in Russia in September 2022 of the so-called “partial” mobilization for the war in Ukraine, laws were passed that toughen the punishment for crimes during the period of conscription and in the conditions of an armed conflict, “Nastoyaschee vremya” reminds.