Serhiy Hnezdilov, a soldier who publicly went AWOL, was further detained

Serhiy Hnezdilov, a serviceman of the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, who went AWOL (leave the military unit without permission) and publicly announced it, was extended his detention until January 15, 2025.

Suspilne writes about this from the courtroom.

The prosecutor noted that the law enforcement officers will not have time to complete the pre-trial investigation by December 9, as determined by the Pechersky Court in October. And that is why it is necessary to extend the preventive measure against Hnezdilov.

Instead, Hnezdilovʼs lawyers opposed the prosecutionʼs motion. The defense side admits that Hnezdilov left the unit without permission, but does not agree with the fact that he committed desertion, which the prosecutorʼs office accuses him of.

What preceded

Serhiy Hnezdilov is a 24-year-old military man who joined the Armed Forces in 2019. His three-year contract was due to expire in March 2022.

All these years he fought in the 56th Mariupol Motorized Infantry Brigade. On September 19, 2024, Hnezdilov went AWOL (left the military unit without permission) and publicly announced it on Facebook two days later. He explained that he wanted to draw attention to the problem, when some fight indefinitely, while others do not plan to mobilize. Already on October 9, Hnezdilov was detained. The next day, he was charged with desertion. He was sent to military custody on October 11.

An interview with Serhiy was released on the Babel YouTube channel, where we voiced the accusations and arguments of different parties. Here are the main points of the conversation, be sure to watch the full version.

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