Contract soldier convicted in Sochi for refusing to participate in hostilities

The Sochi Military Court has sentenced Timofei Abyshkin, a contract military serviceman, to two years and three months in colony, finding him guilty of failing to follow an order to go to the special military operations (SMO) zone in Ukraine.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the punishment for non-execution of an order given "in a period of martial law, in wartime or in conditions of an armed conflict or combat operations" ranges from two to 10 years of freedom deprivation. The relevant Parts 2.1 and 2.2 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation were introduced on September 24, 2022, after the announcement of the partial mobilization. Under this article, in particular, a court in Volgograd sentenced Vyacheslav Pikalov, a contract soldier, to two years in colony.

As reported by "Kavkaz.Realii"* project, Timofei Abyshkin had been taking his military service under a three-year contract since June 23, 2021; and on January 12, 2023, "having no valid reasons, wanting to evade participation in hostilities during the SMO," he refused to perform the commander's combat order.

The court has treated Abyshkin's remorse for his deed as a mitigating circumstance.