Photo of Ilnar Kharisov and Galina Rybakova

‍A year ago, on September 21, 2022, President Putin signed a decree on partial mobilization. Since then, reports about deserters who are unwilling to kill and die, and who are prepared to be put in jail for that, have been appearing more and more frequently in the media. Russians fleeing from military units and training camps are being sentenced, but this has not deterred others from deserting. Many girlfriends of these deserters support their decision, ready to wait for their partners to return from prison for several years and even get married just before their imprisonment.

In May 2023, the St. Petersburg Garrison Military Court sentenced Sergey Spiridonov, a serviceman who had deserted his unit, to seven years in a general regime penal colony. Between October and November 2022, Sergey sought refuge at his girlfriend’s place on five different occasions. After each desertion, he was apprehended and returned to his unit. Sergey, who joined the military service on a contractual basis, aimed to return to civilian life before the expiration of his contract. In spring 2022, he attempted to expedite his dismissal by infringing on military discipline. It appeared his tactics were successful when the unit's command decided to dismiss him. However, the paperwork was dragged on until mobilization was announced. In the aftermath of this announcement, Sergey understood that his exit from military service was improbable. Consequently, he continued to flee to his girlfriend’s place, hoping for dismissal due to absenteeism. Contrary to his hopes for discharge, he received a 7-year imprisonment sentence for desertion.

Two months prior, in March 2023, another resident of St. Petersburg, whose name remains undisclosed, received a sentence of five and a half years in a general regime penal colony under the same regulation. In addition, he was penalized with a fine of 8,000 rubles.

A mobilized individual from Leningrad Oblast was sentenced to seven years in prison for his refusal to partake in the war, escaping from his unit, and returning home. He disposed of his machine gun and burned his military ticket.

The recent judgment for Andrey Divisenko, a mobilized resident of Primorsky Krai who deserted his unit to return home three times, stands as the most stringent to date. He was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony. The court remained unpersuaded by the arguments of Andrey, a father of three, who fled to assist his wife post-surgery.

In court, the majority of the convicted absentees plead guilty, expressing repentance in hopes of receiving leniency in their sentencing.

Ilnar Kharisov and Galina Rybakova crossed paths in September 2022 in Naberezhnye Chelny. At that time, he was 30, and she was 23. After completing her studies at a technical college, Galina relocated to the city and secured a position as a school teacher. She encountered Ilnar, who worked as a plumber together with Galina’s brother, at the latter’s birthday party. This was in September, and a month later, Ilnar received his draft notice.

"We started messaging each other after meeting at my brother’s birthday celebration. I only learned he had left when he was already at the training camp. His father informed him about the draft notice only a few days after receiving it. No one wanted him to go there. He even struggled to find a seat on the bus when he was leaving," recounts Galina.

From Naberezhnye Chelny Ilnar went home to the village of Dzhalil before proceeding to the district center, Sarmanovo, to report to the military enlistment office in Kazan. He was assigned to the "Tankman" training center. After a month, he visited Galina during a day off and resolved not to return to service. Rumors of the unfolding events in Ukraine permeated the training camp swiftly; out of a new group of 80 recruits dispatched to the frontlines, a mere 14 returned alive.

On the run

After desertion, Ilnar changed his SIM card and didn’t show up anywhere for several weeks, visiting only his parents and Galina’s mon. Subsequently, the couple resumed a normal life, renting an apartment in Naberezhnye Chelny and Ilnar reclaiming his previous job, which was quite well-paying. Galina mentions that initially, they both lived in anticipation of the military coming for him, but when no one came, they believed they were forgotten by the military. However, one day after six months, when it seemed that everything was behind, Galina was startled by an unexpected knock on the door of their rented apartment. This happened on May 3rd.

"I was waiting for him from work in the evening as usual," Galina remembers. "Then I saw the police at the door. They claimed the neighbors were complaining about noise. I retorted that it couldn't be true; we are the quietest people on this floor and are only home in the evenings. As I began to close the door, two men forcefully pushed their way into the apartment. They immediately seized my phone to prevent me from calling Ilnar and sat there, waiting for him for five hours until 11 p.m. I remember just having cleaned the apartment and requesting them to remove their shoes, but they ignored it and continued to walk around in their dirty footwear.

"They have come for you" 

When Ilnar returned from work late in the evening and heard Galina's words at the apartment's threshold, “they have come for you," he remained composed. After swift preparations, he was transported to Sarmanovo, his official place of residence. Galina accompanied him. His trial commenced two months after arrest at the Kazan Garrison Military Court, and after three sessions, he was condemned to 5 years and 6 months of imprisonment.

"I pleaded on my knees to let me at least hug him and kiss him," reveals Galina. "But they prohibited it; they barred me from approaching him. After the session concluded, they immediately escorted him away in handcuffs."

The Ministry of Defense’s interest in Ilnar Kharisov is understandable. Four years prior, 30-year-old Kharisov had been discharged after completing his contractual service. After mandatory service, where he trained as a grenadier, he remained in the army for another seven years. Like many from the provinces, Ilnar was drawn by the prospect of earning substantial money. He served in Kamchatka and on the border with Japan. However, in 2019, he opted to revert to civilian life and return home. It was only his flee that Ilnar confessed to Galya his profound regret over voluntarily reporting to the military enlistment office upon receipt of the draft notice.

"He disclosed to me later that, had he met me a bit earlier and had our communications intensified sooner, he would never have gone there," states Galina. "He mentioned having felt a lack of purpose in life until he met me. Now, he has one. For several years prior to meeting me, he hadn't been in any relationships."

Galina is convinced that they were surveilling Ilnar before his apprehension. "We are still puzzled about how they discovered our residence in Naberezhnye Chelny," she admits. "When they arrived, one of them later sat down and detailed to Ilnar the gifts he had been giving me and the stores we frequented."

"We will return everything when he gets out"

In July 2023, Galina and Ilnar underwent a Nikah – a marriage consummated under Muslim customs. Subsequently, they aspired to legally register their union, relocate, and start a family. However, time was not on their side.

Currently, their communications are confined to phone calls, separated by a glass barrier. Since Ilnar’s incarceration, they've managed to meet twice. On August 31, Galina visited her fiancé on his birthday. After the sentencing, she promptly started fundraising for legal representation, a cost unattainable on her monthly teacher's salary of 23,000 rubles.

"I established a WhatsApp group where donations ranged from one to two hundred rubles. My mother made a significant contribution, my brothers and sisters also helped me. But friends... Well, we recently realized that he has almost no friends," Galina reveals. A handful are supportive, maintaining regular contact. As for others with whom we used to communicate and hang out with, I don’t know where they are now. Some people left the chat immediately after my plea for aid, despite assurances of reimbursement once Ilnar is freed."

Following Ilnar's arrest, managing the rent for their one-bedroom apartment became untenable for Galina alone, necessitating a search for a roommate.

"I've been in my job for three years and hope for a raise of at least five thousand rubles," shares Galina. "Without it, I might have to seek employment elsewhere. I need to support Ilnar. Send him money and some food. And visit him.”

The hearing of the appeal for Ilnar Kharisov’s sentence is slated for September 29. His counsel, Rustem Nigmatullin, remains optimistic for a sentence reduction under undisclosed extenuating circumstances, maintained confidential due to attorney-client privilege.

Nigmatullin argues that a tangible sentence surpasses a conditional one for deserters. "Mobilized individuals are sent to the frontline, where the survival odds are very low. It's understandable that people don't want to go there. So, it's better to serve a fraction of the sentence and strive for early release due to commendable conduct," he conjectures.

Galina Rybakova resolves to wait for Ilnar’s return from prison. "If they still put him in prison, I'll have a child from him and relocate to my mother's village residence. Just so he doesn't go there to fight," she asserts.

Invalid reason

Between January and May 2023, over a thousand AWOL cases during mobilization (Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) were brought before Russian military courts —surpassing the total for the entire preceding year.

Certain circumstances, including the death of a close relative or the need to care for ill family members, are recognized as valid reasons for AWOL. Extreme necessity, such as the desire to evade harassment by fellow servicemen, can also be acknowledged as a legitimate reason. However, an individual's reluctance to kill or bear arms isn't deemed valid by Russian authorities.

In September 2022, Article 338, titled "Desertion" and stipulating punishment of up to 15 years of imprisonment, was integrated into the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Beyond imprisonment, alternative civilian service presents another route to bypass participation in the war. Since the onset of the war, activists from the Movement of Conscientious Objectors to Military Service have been elucidating this path. A few mobilized individuals have secured their right to alternative civilian service, even after deployment to military units. Pavel Shumanskiy, a Gatchina resident, procured the right to abstain from bearing arms six months after mobilization, in March 2023, through legal channels. Some who failed to secure alternative civilian service also managed to sidestep frontline service; for instance, Kirill Berezin from St. Petersburg was delegated to equipment repair in a military unit instead of being dispatched to the front lines.