A serviceman from Kabardino-Balkaria was convicted of leaving his unit without permission.

A military court in Nalchik sentenced Atmir Tokhov 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. Tightening of legislation after the announcement of mobilization led to harsher sentences for absence from a military unit or desertion.

A serviceman named Tokhov was found guilty on March 12 under Part 5 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (which carries a sentence of five to 10 years in prison), the Nalchik Garrison Military Court reported on its VKontakte page.

According to the court, Tokhov, without good reason, "on November 8, 2024, during mobilization," committed unauthorized abandonment of his place of service.

"On December 10, 2025, Tokhov was discovered in the city of Nartkala by a police officer, and from November 8, 2024 to December 10, 2025, Tokhov spent time at his own discretion at his place of "residence," the publication states.

In court, Tokhov fully admitted his guilt. "The defendant was sentenced to five years of actual 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 Atmir Tokhov. The case was submitted to the court on March 3, and the verdict was handed down at the hearing on March 12.

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."