A soldier was convicted in Nalchik for failing to report to his military unit.

A court in Nalchik sentenced Andrei Omelchenko to one year in prison, finding him guilty of evading military service during mobilization.

As reported by Kavkazsky Uzel, 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 and desertion.

08:14 28.03.2026

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A serviceman named Omelchenko was found guilty under Part 3.1 of Article 337 of the Russian Criminal Code, the Nalchik Garrison Military Court announced on its VKontakte page.

According to the court, Omelchenko failed to report for duty at his military unit in North Ossetia on December 25, 2025, that is, during his mobilization, without good reason.

On January 12, 2026, the defendant voluntarily reported to the military investigative department in Nalchik. "From December 25, 2025, to January 12, 2026, he spent his time at his own discretion at his place of residence and evaded military service," the publication states.

In court, Omelchenko fully admitted his guilt "and expressed regret for his actions." Furthermore, the court found that the defendant had already been convicted of a serious crime and sentenced to imprisonment.

The court sentenced Omelchenko to one year in prison. He will serve his sentence in a maximum-security penal colony.

The court's press service did not disclose the name of the convicted person. According to the case file on the court's website, the defendant is Andrei Omelchenko. The case was submitted to the court on April 1, and the verdict was handed down on April 8 by Judge Pyatov.

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. Legal experts concluded that a presidential decree was not needed to end partial mobilization, Putin's press secretary explained.

Moreover, on December 12, 2023, the Maykop Military Court, 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."