A convicted contract soldier was found guilty in Nalchik for two counts of absence from his unit.

The Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced serviceman Sergei Monetov, who signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense from prison, to eleven years in prison for failure to report to his military unit and unauthorized absence from his duty station.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on September 24, 2022, Parts 2.1, 3.1, and 5 of Article 337, concerning unauthorized absence from a unit or duty station during mobilization, were added to the Russian Criminal Code. The amendments provide for imprisonment for up to 10 years. Tightening of legislation after the announcement of mobilization led to harsher sentences for absence from a military unit or desertion.

The Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced a serviceman named Monetov, finding him guilty of committing crimes under Part 3.2 1 and Part 6 2 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the court's press service reported on June 25 on its VKontakte page.

The court found that 31-year-old Monetov In 2024, he enlisted in the military, signing a contract from a prison where he was serving a sentence for serious crimes.
On this basis, Monetov, who had multiple convictions, was paroled.

According to the court, on February 7 and March 23, 2026, "that is, in both cases during mobilization," Monetov failed to report for duty at his military unit on the first occasion, and left his duty station without permission in the second instance.

"On March 22, 2026, Monetov voluntarily reported to a military unit stationed in Kabardino-Balkaria, and on April 25, 2026, he was discovered by military police officers in Prokhladny," the statement reads.

At the court hearing, Monetov fully pleaded guilty. The court sentenced him to eleven years in prison based on the combined sentences. Monetov will serve his sentence in a maximum-security penal colony.

According to the criminal case file on the court's website, Sergei Monetov's case was submitted for consideration on June 16, and Judge Lazarev delivered a guilty verdict on June 25.

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. Lawyers have concluded that a presidential decree is not needed to end partial mobilization, Putin's press secretary explained.

Moreover, on December 12, 2023, a military court in Maykop, 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."