A court in Nalchik sentenced a serviceman for abandoning his unit.

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Soldier Roman Kalekin, who left his military unit stationed in North Ossetia without permission and was detained by police in Kabardino-Balkaria more than two months later, was sentenced to five years in prison.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, on September 24, 2022, Parts 2.1, 3.1, and 5 of Article 337, concerning unauthorized abandonment of a unit or place of service during mobilization, were introduced into the Russian Criminal Code. The amendments provide for imprisonment for up to 10 years. Tighter legislation following the announcement of mobilization led to harsher sentences for absence from a military unit or desertion.

The Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced Russian Defense Ministry serviceman Kalekin, finding him guilty of committing a crime under Part 5 of Article 337 of the Russian Criminal Code, the court's press service reported on its official VKontakte page.

The court found that on February 25 of last year, Kalekin failed to report for duty at a military unit stationed in North Ossetia. On May 5 of that year, he was taken to a police station in Kabardino-Balkaria. Kalekin fully admitted his guilt at the court hearing, and the court sentenced him to five years' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony.

The website states that Roman Kalekin's case was submitted for consideration on August 13 of last year. On August 26, proceedings were suspended because the accused had gone into hiding and his whereabouts were unknown. The proceedings were resumed on March 10.

As a reminder, on September 21, 2022, Russian President 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 was issued. 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 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."