In Lviv Oblast, a soldier was convicted for repeatedly deserting his unit
A servicemember from the Lviv region was sentenced to five years in prison for repeatedly leaving his military unit without permission.
The decision was handed down on April 1 by the Kamianka-Buzka District Court of Lviv Oblast.
The verdict states that the soldier deserted his unit twice between December 2023 and November 2025. Criminal proceedings were initiated against him for these actions.
During the court hearing, the defendant pleaded guilty and explained the motives behind his actions. He stated that in July 2023, he was mobilized for military service. During a redeployment, he left his military unit and returned home to be with his wife and child, who were ill. He later returned to duty but again deserted his unit for the same reasons.
The court found the serviceman guilty under Part 5 of Article 407 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and sentenced him to five years in prison. The verdict may be appealed.
Recently, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine simplified the procedure for the return of servicemen after deserting their unit.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi noted: “The main reason for deserting a unit is a reluctance to serve and fear for one’s life. To avoid problems with mobilization, representatives of territorial recruitment and social support centers must treat those mobilized with humanity.”
As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a strategic meeting with Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, following which a list of priority steps for the development of the Armed Forces was approved.
