Contract soldier convicted in Volgograd for refusing to participate in hostilities

The Volgograd Garrison Military Court has sentenced Vyacheslav Pikalov, a contract military serviceman, to two years in colony, finding him guilty of disobeying an order to go to the special military operation (SMO) zone in Ukraine.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the punishment for non-execution of an order given "during the martial law, in wartime or in conditions of an armed conflict or hostilities" ranges from two to 10 years of freedom deprivation.

On October 5, 2022, Pikalov refused, at the unit's personnel line-up, to follow the order to leave for the service trip, according to the website of the above Military Court.

"Pikalov ... explained that the reasons for the non-execution of the order were his fear for his life and health, his poor moral-psychological condition and weak combat spirit, and personal indiscipline," says the message.

The judge has considered that Pikalov's refusal to obey the commander's order of in the presence of mobilized persons "could have a negative impact on the latter's moral condition."