In Dnipro, a court has cleared military officer Gnezdilov of criminal charges following a public statement (PHOTO, VIDEO).

On Thursday, January 23, the Babushkinsky (Shevchenkivsky) District Court of Dnipro made a ruling in the case of Sergeant Sergei Gnezdilov, a serviceman of the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, who had publicly left his unit without permission. This was reported by "Vydomo" referencing "Radio Svoboda".

During the January 23 hearing, the Babushkinsky District Court in Dnipro lifted the detention measure for the serviceman. Thus, Gnezdilov will be released in the courtroom.

It was noted that in three days, the man is required to return to his place of service as a UAV operator. Appeals from both parties can be filed within seven days.

Additionally, a rally took place near the courthouse, where participants urged the authorities to establish a clearly defined term of service for mobilized servicemen during martial law, as well as the right to demobilization from military service.

As is known, on September 21, 2024, Sergei Gnezdilov, who joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2019, announced on Facebook that he had left his unit without permission to draw attention to the lack of established service terms in the army and the constitutional obligation of Ukrainian citizens to defend the state.

He stated that there is no state policy regarding demobilization: "It seems like this war is only for those who once came to it."

Gnezdilov also emphasized that the issue of infantry rest and the establishment of clear service terms at the front is a "matter of national security."

Law enforcement opened a criminal case based on the serviceman's statement. Under martial law, this offense carries a penalty of imprisonment for a term of 5 to 12 years.

On October 9, investigators from the State Bureau of Investigations detained the serviceman on suspicion of leaving the military unit without permission. His actions were classified as desertion.

Following this incident, an internal investigation was launched in the 56th brigade.

On January 6, the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv extended the measure of restraint in the form of detention for the serviceman of the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Mariupol Brigade, Sergei Gnezdilov, who publicly left his unit without permission in September 2024. As a result, he will remain in pre-trial detention until January 31, 2025, without the possibility of posting bail.

Public opinion regarding Gnezdilov's actions is divided: some criticized his unauthorized leave from the unit, while others supported him.

In his Facebook post, Gnezdilov also mentioned at least 80,000 cases of unauthorized leave.