The Stavropol garrison military court sentenced Vitaly Matkin, a military contractor and father of three children, to five and a half years in prison. The Southern District Military Court dismissed the appeal and the verdict entered into force.
Matkin reportedly signed a contract on July 27, 2022 and served in Severomorsk (Murmansk region). On September 26, a few days after the announcement of partial mobilization, the command allowed him to leave the military unit for several hours. As a result, the man did not return to work. A criminal case was initiated under the article on unauthorized abandonment of a unit or place of service during the period of mobilization or martial law. The investigation established that the serviceman went to Ryazan, where his family was, and later to Stavropol, where they had an apartment. In December, Matkin’s car, which was engaged in private transportation, was stopped in Nevinnomyssk. The man was taken to the police, where it turned out that he was wanted in a criminal case.
Matkin pleaded guilty. At the same time, his lawyer, Svetlana Vasilyeva, told the publication that he had not passed the probationary period, due to which the contract with him had to be terminated. The serviceman had claims against the command due to the fact that, according to the defense, the terms of the contract were not fulfilled either in terms of monetary allowance or in terms of issuing overalls.
Source: Rosbalt
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