A soldier was convicted in Nalchik for leaving his unit without permission

A court in Nalchik sentenced a serviceman from North Ossetia, Urusov, to five years in prison, finding him guilty of unauthorized abandonment of his unit.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" wrote, on September 24, 2022, parts 2.1, 3.1 and 5 of Article 337 on unauthorized abandonment of a unit or place of service during mobilization were introduced into the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The amendments provide for imprisonment for up to 10 years. The tightening of laws after the announcement of mobilization led to harsher sentences for absence from a military unit.

The Nalchik Garrison Military Court issued a guilty verdict against a serviceman of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Urusov, convicted of committing a crime under Part 5 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation1, the military court reports on its VKontakte page.

The court found that Urusov, without good reason, left the temporary deployment point of the military unit on December 6, 2024, during the mobilization period, without permission. On June 5, 2025, Urusov was found in the city of Nalchik in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic by police officers who were looking for him for evading military service. The defendant admitted his guilt in full and expressed regret for what he had done.

For committing this crime, Urusov was sentenced to real imprisonment for a term of 5 years in a general regime penal colony. The convict was taken into custody in the courtroom and placed in a pre-trial detention center, the press service clarified.

It should be noted that the serviceman's name was not indicated in the court's press release. Information is temporarily unavailable on the military court's website. At this time, it is not possible to view the court card.

Recall that on September 21, 2022, Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization. On October 28 of the same 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 complete partial mobilization, Putin's press secretary explained.