Novocherkassk Military Court denies contract soldier's dismissal from military service

The Novocherkassk Military Court has refused to satisfy the demand of Alexander Semenenko, a contract military serviceman, to be dismissed from military service, citing the presidential decree on the partial mobilization.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that for many contract servicemen the refusal of their commanders to dismiss them has become a problem. This is done in order to send them to the Russian's special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine, Valentina Melnikova, the head of the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers, suggested in December 2022. Commanders refuse to dismiss the servicemen, whose contracts have expired referring to the presidential decree on the mobilization, Artyom Mugunyants, a lawyer for the "Anti-Draft" community, has confirmed.

Alexander Semenenko has demanded dismissal in court due to systematic violations of his contract by his commanders, the "Kavkaz.Realii"* project reports. The court's decision says that Alexander "had asked to terminate his military service contract due to systematic violations of the terms thereof by the command of his military unit."

In his lawsuit, Semenenko indicated that on January 9, 2023, he signed a contract for the military service. "After that, without any training, the next day he was sent to the territory of the SMO. Besides, the prescribed monetary allowances and payments were repeatedly paid to him untimely; and prior to the conclusion of the contract, the military medical commission was not held; the prescribed uniforms were issued in an incomplete volume; and he had to secure the personal protection means right on the combat contact line," says the claimants' version of events.

The court has found Alexander Semenenko's lawsuit to be unjustified.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.