Contract Ends in Prison: Another Serviceman Sentenced in Nalchik

The Nalchik Garrison Military Court has sentenced a serviceman named Bizhoev, finding him guilty of two counts of unauthorized absence from duty during the mobilization period. He was sentenced to six years of imprisonment in a general-regime penal colony.

According to the court's press service, the first incident occurred on November 6, 2024: the serviceman failed to report to his military unit at the appointed time and remained at his place of residence until November 27, 2025. He then voluntarily turned himself in to the police department of the Leskenskiy District in Kabardino-Balkaria.

The second incident took place on December 9, 2025. According to the court, Bizhoev left his duty station without authorization and remained absent until April 12, 2026, after which he voluntarily reported to his military unit located in North Ossetia.

During the trial, the serviceman fully admitted his guilt and expressed remorse for his actions. The court found him guilty on two counts under Part 5 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and, considering the offenses in aggregate, sentenced him to six years in a general-regime penal colony.

Penalties for unauthorized departure from a military unit and failure to report for duty were increased following the introduction of mobilization in Russia in September 2022. The maximum penalty under the relevant article is up to 10 years of imprisonment.

Последние новости
Stavropol Region Resident Sentenced to Correctional Labor for Desecrating Soviet Soldiers' Mass Grave
Society
Stavropol Region Resident Sentenced to Correctional Labor for Desecrating Soviet Soldiers' Mass Grave
14 August 2026

A court in the Stavropol Region sentenced a 40-year-old resident of the village of Staroizobilnenskaya to ten months of correctional labor for desecrating a mass grave of Soviet soldiers.
AI-generated personas supported
Politics
AI-generated personas supported "Georgian Dream": researchers identify 230 suspicious Facebook accounts
14 August 2026

A network of 230 Facebook accounts featuring photos likely generated by neural networks has been discovered in Georgia. These accounts were used to create the appearance of widespread support for the ruling "Georgian Dream" party and its chairman, Irakli Kobakhidze. Researchers from the "Myth Detector" platform reached this conclusion.
17 Ukrainians living for over a year in a basement at the Georgia-Russia border evacuated due to mudslide threat
Human rights
17 Ukrainians living for over a year in a basement at the Georgia-Russia border evacuated due to mudslide threat
14 August 2026

Seventeen Ukrainian citizens, who had been staying for more than a year in the basement of the Georgian "Daryali" checkpoint on the Russian border, were evacuated on August 13 due to the threat of a natural disaster. Following the evacuation, they were not taken away from the border crossing area entirely; instead, they were placed in a truck and transported a few hundred meters to the grounds of a nearby monastery.
The war in Abkhazia, which claimed around 10,000 lives, began 34 years ago
History
The war in Abkhazia, which claimed around 10,000 lives, began 34 years ago
14 August 2026

On August 14, 1992, hostilities broke out in Abkhazia; the conflict lasted over a year and became one of the most severe in Georgia's modern history. On that day, Georgian units entered the self-proclaimed Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, crossing from the direction of the Inguri River. Tbilisi justified the deployment of the National Guard by citing the need to protect railway links. However, the advancing Georgian column encountered armed resistance from Abkhaz forces.