A Russian contract soldier who resigned from the military after serving one month in Ukraine has been sentenced to three years in prison following an appeal.
The Central District Military Court in Yekaterinburg on May 22 reduced Marcel Kandarov's sentence imposed by a lower court from five years to three years, according to the court's website.
Kandarov had been serving as a contract soldier in Ufa, the capital of the Russian region of Bashkortostan, when President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
His unit was sent to Ukraine to fight but after a month at the front, Kandarov was sent back to Russia to recuperate. While on medical leave, he wrote a resignation letter stating that he did not want to kill people.
While his request was being reviewed, Kandarov returned home to Ufa where he was detained in January.
Hundreds of Russian contract soldiers reportedly quit during the first few months of the war as Ukrainian armed forces put up fierce resistance.
As Russia officially termed the war a "special military operation," contract soldiers could not legally be prosecuted for quitting, lawyers said at the time.
However, that changed after Russia announced a mobilization in September. Contract solders could only quit service for health reasons or age.
Kandarov is one of many contract soldiers have been sentenced to prison terms since the start of the war.
According to OVD-Info, an independent human rights defense and media group, there are at least 550 people who have either been sentenced or are under investigation for opposing the war in Ukraine.