The Pechersk District Court of Kyiv made a decision continue detention until January 15 for Serhii Hnezdilov, a soldier of the 56th separate motorized infantry brigade of Mariupol, prohibiting the possibility of making bail. Hnezdilov is accused of voluntarily leaving the military unit, which he did publicly.
The prosecution insisted on remand, while the lawyers asked for an alternative measure of restraint, not related to deprivation of liberty. The defense said the charges were baseless and unsubstantiated. According to the lawyers, Hnezdilov has no intention of hiding or influencing witnesses.
Lawyers confirmed the fact of voluntary desertion, but categorically denied desertion. They explained that desertion means leaving the service permanently, while FZH is a temporary act. In addition, the lawyers emphasized that Hnezdilov left the unit openly, not hiding his actions, and did it to draw attention to important problems.
Hnezdilov himself said that in the last two months, the Ukrainian military has been facing serious difficulties in the conditions of war, in particular, the lack of an effective system of mobilization and rotations.
“The experience of other countries, such as Israel, South Korea or Taiwan, shows that success in war requires nationwide mobilization. If society remains divided and not sufficiently involved, the nation will sooner or later be defeated.” he noted.
