The Myrhorod City District Court of Poltava Oblast sentenced a military man who voluntarily left his place of service twice to 5 years and 1 month of imprisonment. This decision can be appealed within 30 days.
According to the data of the Unified State Register of Court Decisions, the convict is a Kyivan, mobilized during the war, who served as a grenade launcher in the security department.
The first violation occurred on March 16, 2024. The soldier left the unit, explaining it by the fact that his state of health was allegedly incorrectly assessed by the military medical commission (MMC).
After the escape, the man turned to medical institutions to clarify the diagnosis, but he was not prescribed inpatient treatment. Voluntarily returning to duty on April 11, the serviceman reported that he faced pressure from the command.
According to him, the superiors allegedly incited other servicemen to use physical force against him. In response, he called the police and military law enforcement, who took him to the hospital to be tested for intoxication. After that, the man left the unit for the second time and went to Kyiv, never returning to the service.
On May 27, he was detained by employees of the State Bureau of Investigation, after which he was detained.
The court found the serviceman guilty under the articles of voluntary desertion and desertion. He was sentenced to 5 years and 1 month of imprisonment.
On November 21, 2024, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on voluntary return to service for military personnel who voluntarily left their unit or deserted for the first time. The law allows such servicemen to return without significant consequences if they do so voluntarily.
Since the beginning of this law, more than 7,000 military personnel who had previously completed military service have returned to service. However, in cases of repeated violations, as in the case of the convicted grenade launcher, the law provides for severe sanctions.
