A soldier in Nalchik received a prison sentence for evading military service.

A court in Nalchik sentenced Vaisul Karagulov to one year in prison, finding him guilty of leaving his unit without permission during mobilization.

As reported by "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 introduced into the Russian Criminal Code. The amendments provide for imprisonment for up to 10 years. Tightening of legislation after the announcement of mobilization led to harsher sentences for absence from a military unit or desertion.

A serviceman named Karagulov was found guilty under Part 3.1 of Article 337 of the Russian Criminal Code 1 , the Nalchik Garrison Military Court reported on its VKontakte page.

According to the court, Karagulov left his military unit without good reason "on September 19, 2025, that is, during the mobilization period."

"On October 15, Karagulov was detained by a police officer in the city of Mozdok, and from September 19 to October 15 "He spent his time at his own discretion until 2025," the publication states.

At the court hearing, Karagulov fully pleaded guilty to the crime charged. Karagulov was sentenced to one year of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony.

The court's press service did not provide the name of the convicted man. According to the case file on the court's website, the defendant is Vaisul Karagulov. The case was submitted to the court on December 15, and the verdict was handed down on December 23.

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."