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

A court in Nalchik sentenced Askhad Zambatov to five years in prison, finding him guilty of evading military service during mobilization.

As reported by "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.

A serviceman named Zambatov was found guilty under Part 5 of Article 337 of the Russian Criminal Code, the Nalchik Garrison Military Court reported on its VKontakte page.

According to the court, Zambatov failed to report for duty at his military unit in North Ossetia on August 6, 2025, during mobilization, without good reason.

08:14 28.03.2026

The case of a contract soldier from Vladikavkaz highlights the problem of violations of the rights of military personnel

A Vladikavkaz resident held a picket to demand that the sentence for leaving her son's unit, who was found fit for service despite a spinal injury sustained at a training ground, be overturned. Human rights activists have called the practice of returning soldiers who have not fully recovered systematic.

"On April 11, 2026, Zambatov voluntarily reported to the military investigative department stationed in Mozdok, and from August 6, 2025, to April 11, 2026, Zambatov spent time at his own discretion at his place of residence," the publication states.

Zambatov "recognized the illegality of his actions, spoke truthfully about them, and expressed regret for what he had done." The court sentenced the defendant to five years in prison. He will serve his sentence in a general regime penal colony.

The court's press service did not provide the name of the convicted man. According to the case file on the court's website, the convicted man is Askhad Zambatov. The case was submitted to the court on May 20, and a verdict was issued at the first hearing, on May 28.

As a reminder, Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization on September 21, 2022. On October 28 of that year, the Minister of Defense reported to the president on its completion, but no corresponding decree followed. Lawyers 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 on a mobilized soldier who left his unit in June 2023, emphasized that "partial mobilization was declared in the Russian Federation, which was not completed at the time the crime was committed, ."