A serviceman from Kabardino-Balkaria was convicted for being absent from his unit.

A military court in Nalchik sentenced Zurab Aliyev to six years in prison, finding him guilty of leaving his unit without permission during mobilization.

As reported by the 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. Tightening of legislation after the announcement of mobilization led to harsher sentences for absence from a military unit or desertion.

A serviceman named Aliyev was found guilty on March 10 under Part 5 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (which carries a prison sentence of five to 10 years), the Nalchik Garrison Military Court reported on its VKontakte page.

According to the court, Aliyev, without good reason, "on September 6, 2024, during the mobilization period," failed to report for duty at his military unit at the appointed time.

"On April 21, 2025, Aliyev voluntarily reported to the military investigative department in Nalchik, and from September 6, 2024 to April 21, 2025, he spent time at "at his own discretion, at his place of residence," the publication states.

Furthermore, the court found that Aliyev had already been sentenced to imprisonment for a serious crime, for which the conviction had not been expunged or expunged.

In court, Aliyev fully admitted his guilt. "The defendant was sentenced to six years of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony," the statement noted.

The court's press service did not provide the name of the convicted person. According to the case file on the court's website, the defendant is Zurab Aliyev. The case was submitted to the court on March 3, and a verdict was rendered at the hearing on March 10.

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."