The soldier was injured during the operation, received a one-week suspension, and was handed a suspended prison sentence of one and a half years because hospitalization delayed his return. This information comes from the Military Tribunal of the Ulan-Ude Garrison as reported on their site.
Shelkanova VV was mobilized from Buryatia on 20 October 2022. He sustained injuries while in the SVO zone in January 2023. He received treatment at a military hospital from March 20 to April 4, but later informed the unit command that he needed to visit the hospital because a fragment had not been removed.
On the morning of April 27, with the permission of the unit commander, he left the region to consult with a surgeon.
After the hospital visit, Shelkanov did not report to the unit or begin service. He did not respond to calls from any unit personnel. A search for Shelkanov was organized within the military area, but yielded no results, according to court documents.
The missing individual appeared at the military commander’s office on May 7 for consultation after learning that he was wanted. He stated that the commander had not set a specific reporting time and that he chose to go home to his wife.
The military medical commission found Shelkanov fit for service with minor restrictions. He was charged with leaving his unit during mobilization and received a sentence of 1.5 years in prison with a two-year probation period. Additionally, procedural costs totaling 18,720 rubles were levied against him in the case.
Two prior cases before this had resulted in five-year penalties for unauthorized abandonment of a unit.