The Ivano-Frankivsk city court sentenced a serviceman to five years in prison for voluntarily leaving a military unit three times. About this informs press service of the State Bureau of Investigation.
The man was mobilized to one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on February 26, 2022. He did not return to duty for the first time after receiving treatment in August 2023 and was homebound for over a month, but later returned to duty on his own.
From February to April 2024, he left the military again, and the third violation occurred in the period from August 2024 to January 2025. After that, he was detained by the SBI officers at his home and informed about the suspicion.
The court found him guilty under Part 5 of Article 407 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — voluntarily leaving a military unit or place of service under martial law, committed repeatedly — and sentenced him to five years in prison. Procedural management in the case was carried out by the Ivano-Frankivsk specialized prosecutor’s office in the field of defense of the Western region.
As a reminder, until August 2025, servicemen who voluntarily left their units can voluntarily return to service without legal consequences. To do this, you need to contact the specified institutions or directly to your unit. After applying within 72 hours, the person is reinstated as part of the unit, released from criminal liability, financial support and social guarantees are restored.
The authorities call on servicemen not to risk their freedom and to return to the army voluntarily. Arbitrarily leaving a military unit under martial law is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment for 5 to 10 years.
