Military man went AWOL and stole an armored personnel carrier - court ruling.

A serviceman from one of the units in the Sumy region decided to radically change his life by escaping from his place of service and stealing an armored personnel carrier. For such actions, he faced imprisonment.

The State Bureau of Investigations reported this incident on July 9.

What punishment did the serviceman receive

In the SBI, they explained that in January 2025, the serviceman, who was a driver of special equipment, left the military unit without permission. Under the pretext of refueling the armored personnel carrier, he drove out of the unit's territory in an APC, taking a firearm with him, and went home to Poltava region.

Detaining the serviceman. Photo: SBI

The APC that the serviceman stole. Photo: SBI

Having traveled several hundred kilometers, he left the APC on a highway near a village and went to sleep in the forest. However, law enforcement quickly discovered and detained the man. The stolen armored personnel carrier and weapons were returned to the military unit.

The case regarding this incident was sent to court, and the Sumy District Court sentenced the serviceman to seven years of imprisonment for desertion and theft of military equipment.

It should be noted that earlier the commander of the 'Georgian Legion' expressed his opinion about servicemen who chose the path of drug addiction. He believes that they should be given a second chance.

At the same Time, the Ministry of Defense stated that servicemen can return from the special zone until the end of summer, and the return procedure has become even simpler, it is enough to apply through the 'Army+' app.

A Ukrainian serviceman in the Sumy region decided to leave the army by stealing an armored personnel carrier and headed home to the Poltava region. After a quick arrest, he was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment for desertion and theft of military equipment.