The Odintsovo garrison military court has found mobilized soldier Alexander Leshkov guilty, according to reports by TASS. Leshkov received a sentence of five years and six months in a strict-regime penal colony for striking a commander in the line of duty, under part 3 of article 344 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The ruling was appealed by the defense and has not yet taken effect.
The case remains before the Second Western District Military Court, with the verdict currently indicating guilt. During a November 13 evaluation at Patriot Park in the Moscow region, Private Leshkov expressed strong discontent with several aspects of military service. He criticized the organization of duties for mobilized personnel, the provisioning of equipment, and the overall training environment, reportedly using explicit language in the process of venting his frustration, leading to a formal criminal action.
prosecutors allege that Leshkov engaged in a verbal altercation with his commander, Lieutenant Colonel Denis Mazanov, and blew cigarette smoke in the officer’s face in the presence of other soldiers. The officer reportedly restrained him with a hand and then Leshkov allegedly thrust his fist into the lieutenant colonel’s chest.
On November 22, Leshkov’s attorney, Alexander Aleksandrovsky, told News.ru that his client admitted to inflicting violence against his commander. The defense contends that the mobilized man’s behavior stemmed from individual upbringing and a heightened sense of injustice rather than intent to injure, describing Leshkov as reacting emotionally to a stressful situation rather than seeking harm.
Aleksandrovsky characterized the incident as an uncontrolled emotional outburst. He noted that Leshkov had volunteered to take part in hostilities and had been evaluated positively in other contexts. The lawyer emphasized that the defendant did not intend to cause serious harm, and that the stress of recent events played a major role in his actions.
Videos circulating in the media depict fighting at Patriot Park amid partial mobilization in Russia, including scenes where Leshkov resented the mobilized training exercises and questioned whether preparations were adequate for actual combat. During one exchange, he criticized the pace and organization of the training and suggested that the paperwork process reflected broader shortcomings. The footage also shows him commenting on the number of rounds fired and the use of firing ranges, with the broader context of perceived deficiencies at the training facility highlighted.
In addition to the shooting-range concerns, there were complaints about the absence of moving targets, which allegedly fueled frustration among service members. Andrey Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defense Committee, indicated that an investigation would soon examine grievances raised by mobilized personnel from various regions. He attributed the reported troubles to isolation and what he described as the deliberate dishonesty of certain officials.
On December 29, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu acknowledged that mobilization efforts encountered numerous difficulties and shortcomings. He stated that while partial mobilization had been completed and steps were taken to address problems, the process revealed a range of challenges that required time to resolve. He stressed that the government did not intend to hide information, and that many issues had been resolved fairly quickly as a result of continued reforms and adjustments.