Case of serviceman Hnezdilov's desertion opened, he isn't notified of suspicion – source
The prosecutor's office has opened a criminal case under the article on desertion in connection with the statement of a serviceman of the 56th separate motorized infantry brigade Serhiy Hnezdilov about unauthorized abandonment of service due to the lack of regulation of the issue of demobilization of Ukrainian soldiers, a source in law enforcement agencies told Interfax-Ukraine.
"A criminal case has been opened on this fact," the agency's interlocutor said.
He said the case was opened on September 23 by Donetsk Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the defense sector, based on the results of monitoring the Internet. At present, it is being transferred for investigation according to jurisdiction.
At the same time, the agency's source drew attention to the fact that Hnezdilov has no procedural status; he was not notified of the suspicion. "Currently, he is on sick leave, the term of which expires in the near future. If he does not arrive at his place of service within three days after that, further procedural decisions will be made," the agency's source said.
On September 21, Hnezdilov said on his Facebook page that he had voluntarily left the unit in order to draw attention to the need to regulate the terms of service for mobilized personnel. "From today, I am going to unauthorized abandonment of the military unit, until clear terms of service are established or until my 25th birthday, having five years of impeccable military service behind me... I hope that this action will help convey to the authorities and society the need to talk and resolve this situation," the serviceman said.
He also said: "My position remains unchanged: we must create a mobilization queue of all Ukrainians liable for military service, and then demobilization will become a reality." Hnezdilov volunteered for the army in 2019 and took part in battles in Donetsk region, including Pisky and Bakhmut.