In Kyiv, a Mobilised Soldier Who Had Been Absent From Service for Over Three Years Seriously Wounded a Man During a Gathering and Was Sentenced to Six Years
In Kyiv, a mobilised serviceman has been sentenced to six years in prison. The court established that he failed to return to his place of service for over three years after undergoing a military medical commission, and, during a New Year’s conflict, he inflicted nine stab wounds on a man.
The Sviatoshynskyi District Court of Kyiv found the man guilty under Part 1 of Article 121 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (intentional grievous bodily harm) and Part 5 of Article 407 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (failure of a serviceman to report for duty on time without valid reasons during martial law).
Circumstances of the Case
The court established that on the evening of 1 January 2026, a domestic conflict arose among participants at a gathering. The accused left the apartment with an acquaintance and later returned carrying a folding knife.
The men called the victim to the apartment corridor, where a fight broke out between him and the accused. During the altercation, the accused inflicted nine stab wounds to the victim’s torso and left the scene without providing assistance.
The victim sustained numerous stab wounds, two of which — penetrating wounds to the chest and abdomen — were determined by examination to be grievous bodily injuries dangerous to life. Another participant in the conflict also received two stab wounds, classified as minor bodily injuries. The accused’s guilt was confirmed by the testimonies of the victim and witnesses, results of investigative experiments, and forensic medical, molecular genetic, and other examinations.
Failure to Report for Duty
The court separately considered the episode related to military service.
The accused was mobilised in April 2022. In June of the same year, he was sent to a military medical commission to determine his fitness for further service. After passing the commission, he was supposed to return to his military unit but failed to do so.
The court found that the serviceman, without valid reasons, did not return to his place of service no later than 22 August 2022, and remained absent from the military unit until 2 January 2026, when he was detained under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine on suspicion of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 121 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The court concluded that the accused’s explanations regarding alleged attempts to return to service were refuted by the materials of the official investigation and his prolonged absence.
Court Decision
The court found the man guilty of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm dangerous to life at the time of infliction, as well as failing to report for military service without valid reasons during martial law.
For the combination of crimes, he was ultimately sentenced to six years of imprisonment. The court recognised the commission of the criminal offence while intoxicated as an aggravating circumstance. The convicted person was also ordered to pay 150,900 UAH in procedural costs for conducting examinations.
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