A serviceman was convicted in Nalchik for being absent from his unit.

The court sentenced Murat Gogunokov to six years in prison after he was absent from his unit for nearly two months during mobilization.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," on September 4, 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 and desertion.

A serviceman named Gogunokov was found guilty of failing to report for duty without good reason for more than one month 1 , the Nalchik Garrison Military Court reported on its VKontakte page.

08:14 28.03.2026

The case of a contract soldier from Vladikavkaz highlights the problem of violations of the rights of military personnel

A Vladikavkaz resident held a picket to demand that the sentence for leaving her son's unit, who was found fit for service despite a spinal injury sustained at a training ground, be overturned. Human rights activists have called the practice of returning soldiers who have not fully recovered systematic.

According to the court, the serviceman failed to report for duty at his military unit on January 13, 2026, during his mobilization period, without good reason.

"On March 8, 2026, Gogunokov was discovered by a police officer in Nalchik. From January 13 to March 8, he spent time at his own discretion at his place of residence and evaded military service," the publication states.

In court, Gogunokov fully admitted his guilt. The court also found that the defendant had previously been convicted of a serious crime. Taking this into account, he was given a final sentence of six years in a maximum-security penal colony.

The court's press service did not provide the name of the convicted soldier. According to the criminal case file on the court's website, the defendant is Murat Gogunokov. The case was submitted to the court on April 21, and Judge Pyatov delivered the verdict on April 29.

As a reminder, Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization on September 21, 2022. On October 28 of that year, the Minister of Defense reported to the President on its completion, but no corresponding decree followed. Lawyers concluded that a presidential decree is not required to end partial mobilization, Putin's press secretary explained.

Moreover, on December 12, 2023, the Maykop Military Court, in its verdict for a mobilized soldier who left his unit in June 2023, emphasized that "partial mobilization was declared in the Russian Federation, which was not completed at the time the crime was committed, ."