In the Russian Federation, the number of military personnel who have deserted and gone AWOL has significantly increased since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with many being accused of murder. According to the project “Sever.Realii,” from 2022 to April 21, 2026, Russian military courts have examined cases against 144 individuals who were accused or already convicted not only of desertion or going AWOL but also of murder.
This is reported by Finway
Trends in the Increase of Cases
Journalists from the project analyzed court records on the official websites of Russian military courts for the relevant period. The study focused on cases under articles 338 (desertion) and 337 (going AWOL) of the Russian Criminal Code, which also involved articles 105 (murder) and part 4 of article 111 (intentional infliction of serious bodily harm resulting in death).
Year after year, the number of such accusations has been steadily increasing. In 2022, there was one conviction; in 2023, there were six. In 2024, this number rose to 26, which is 4.3 times more than the previous year. The peak occurred in 2025, when cases involving 86 military personnel were examined. Overall, the number of convictions during this period increased by 86 times.
Statistics on Accusations and Convictions
The majority of murder accusations in Russia are against those who went AWOL: the combination of articles 337 and 105 applies to 54 individuals. In second place are those prosecuted for causing serious bodily harm with fatal consequences (40 individuals). 29 deserters received convictions specifically for murder, while another 11 were convicted for intentional infliction of serious harm to health.
There are also unique cases: only one person was convicted under three articles—337, 338, and 105; three others were convicted under articles 337, 338, and 111. In total, 105 cases have already resulted in guilty verdicts, while only seven have had court decisions published—defendants received sentences ranging from 8 to 13 years in prison.
“With each passing year, the number of deserters and AWOL personnel accused of murder has increased. In 2022, only one person was convicted; in 2023, six. In 2024, their number surged by 4.3 times to 26 convictions. The peak occurred in 2025 when courts examined cases involving 86 individuals. Thus, the number of convictions increased by 86 times.”
As of 2026, at least 25 cases involving deserters accused of murder are still pending in Russian courts. Some cases are currently at the hearing stage, some have been suspended due to the death of the defendant or their inability to participate in the proceedings, and certain hearings have been postponed. Some defendants may have returned to service by signing new contracts.
It is known that on April 16, two high-profile murder cases involving deserters from the Russian army occurred within a single day. In the Orenburg region, Private Sergey Basalaev, who was wanted by federal authorities, opened fire on the police, resulting in the death of one officer and injuries to three others. Another incident took place in Petrozavodsk: a man who had gone AWOL attacked a guard with a knife and attempted to flee. He was later apprehended, but the injured guard, a contractor, died in the hospital.
In September 2025, analysts from the OSINT project Frontelligence Insight reported that the desertion rate in the Russian army had doubled over the year.