Soldier escapes from military unit four times: what punishment did he receive.

In the Ivano-Frankivsk district court of Lviv, a soldier who escaped from military service four times was sentenced to five years in prison. He explained his actions by stating that after being injured in combat, he was removed from active duty and was paid only 615 UAH per month, and he escaped to earn money for his living expenses. This was reported by Zaxid.net.

According to the verdict published in the court register, soldier Oleksandr T. broke his contract four times from June 2023 to October 2024. Sometimes he was absent from service for several weeks, and sometimes for several months. A criminal case was opened against him for these actions.

In court, Oleksandr T. stated that he was injured during a mission in the combat zone and, after that, he was undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. When he returned to his unit, he learned that he had been removed from active duty and was being paid only 615 UAH per month.

“Since this amount is insignificant, I had to earn a living, so I left the military unit and then returned. I was not given a referral to the medical commission, but I was also not included in the unit's personnel. The command of the military unit insisted that no one would be paid except for being in the combat zone,” said the accused in the verdict.

The soldier explained that he escaped from the unit only due to a lack of money and stated that he planned to continue his service. The prosecutor confirmed that the situation regarding the payment of 615 UAH after the injury is true.

Judge Vasyl Kuz examined all the materials and the opinions of the parties involved in the case. Considering that the accused cooperated in the preliminary investigation and returned to service on his own, he was sentenced to five years in prison. The verdict can be appealed. The accused was released under the court's gate until the verdict takes legal effect.

It is worth noting that in the Khmelnytskyi region, a man who categorically refused mobilization 'due to his beliefs' was sentenced to three years in prison. Information about this can be found in the verdict of the Polonsky district court of the Khmelnytskyi region.

Ukrainian MP from the Servant of the People party, Heorhii Mazurashu, initiated an alternative draft law to strengthen accountability for military offenses.