A soldier has been arrested in Novocherkassk on charges of desertion.

The father of six children, who has been involved in combat since 2023, has been arrested on charges of desertion. The defense requested his release under the supervision of the unit's command.

The Novocherkassk garrison military court, at the request of the military investigation, has arrested a contract private serving in the 72nd motorized rifle brigade. The soldier has been sent to pre-trial detention on charges of desertion (part 3 of article 338 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), which provides for a prison sentence of five to 15 years.

The defense of the accused has appealed the arrest in the Southern District Military Court, asking for his release under the supervision of the unit's command. The lawyer pointed out that the serviceman, who has been involved in combat since 2023, does not intend to hide, as he has six children to support, reports "Kommersant".

The youngest children of the arrested soldier are 9, 11, and 12 years old, while the older ones are 13, 15, and 17 years old. The defense also noted that he has medals and "numerous departmental awards from the Ministry of Defense",

"The private has serious health problems as a result of injuries and the harsh conditions of service," the lawyer noted in the complaint.

The appellate court, despite these arguments, kept the contract soldier in pre-trial detention. The panel indicated that the crime attributed to him "outweighs the requirement to respect personal freedom and the inviolability of his person, regardless of the presumption of innocence."

"Caucasian Knot" reported on the case of a father of many children from the Volgograd region, Ruslan Zhadaev, who was sentenced by the court to five years in a colony for leaving the unit without permission. He appealed the sentence and in August 2025 achieved a change of punishment to a suspended sentence. While the process was ongoing, Zhadaev's children were in a social rehabilitation center under the threat of being placed in an orphanage.