A Russian military court sentenced a soldier to eight years in a general regime colony for desertion.
Leaving Without Authorization
According to Lenta the South Sakhalin Garrison Military Court handed down the sentence after finding the soldier guilty of leaving his unit without authorization.
The court also stripped the soldier of his rank of Senior Warrant Officer.
According to the court's press service, the soldier was convicted under Article 337 of the Russian Criminal Code, which addresses unauthorized absence from a military unit or place of duty.
A Broader Crackdown
The prosecution's case revealed that on August 6, 2022, the soldier failed to return to his assigned unit in Primorsky Krai without a valid excuse and instead traveled to another city. He only returned to a military commissariat in South Sakhalin on February 28, 2024.
This case is part of a broader crackdown on desertion within the Russian military, especially given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Desertion has become a critical issue as the Russian military faces significant challenges in maintaining troop levels and morale amid the protracted and costly conflict.
Previously, a soldier in Buryatia was sentenced to six and a half years for a similar offense involving a two-year absence from service.
