A serviceman was convicted in Nalchik for evading military service.

A court in Nalchik sentenced Alexander Nemchenko to five years 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 leaving a unit or place of service without permission during mobilization, were added to the Russian Criminal Code. The amendments provide for imprisonment for up to 10 years. Tighter laws after the announcement of mobilization led to harsher sentences for absence from a military unit.

23:48 04.01.2023

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On October 23, serviceman Nemchenko was found guilty under Part 5 of Article 337 of the Russian Criminal Code 1 , the Nalchik Garrison Military Court reported on its VKontakte page.

According to the court, the serviceman "on June 4, 2025, during the mobilization period," failed to report for duty at his military unit in Vladikavkaz without good reason. "On July 14, 2025, Nemchenko was found in the village of Pavlodolskaya in the Mozdok District of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania by military commandant's office officers searching for him for evading military service," the court reported.

In court, the serviceman fully admitted his guilt "and expressed regret for his actions." "The defendant was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony," the publication stated.

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 Alexander Nemchenko. The case was referred to the judge on October 15, and a verdict was rendered at the first hearing.

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, the Maykop military court, 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."