The Southern District Military Court of the Russian city Rostov-on-Don has upheld the decision of the Crimean Garrison Court which had previously sentenced a contract serviceman Egor Fomenko to two years and seven months of penal colony over charges of illegal acquisition and storage of ammunition and explosives during the war in Ukraine. Kommersant was the outlet to point out the court’s decision.
Kommersant reports, citing the court files, that Fomenko refused to continue serving in the war in Ukraine back in April and went home, having tried to illegally take with him the four F-1 hand fragmentation grenades, a RGD-5 fragmentation grenade, five UZRGM-2 unified fuses for grenades, three 7.62mm rifle rounds, six 9mm SP-5 rifle cartridges, one 5.45mm cartridge, and one 12.7mm round of the 1930 model, all of which he had found at the Kherson airport. The man was detained in the Crimean city of Kerch at the Tavrida Highway security checkpoint.
During the interrogation, according to the case files, the serviceman admitted his guilt and said that he had taken the ammunition to ensure his own safety, seeing as he had to return his service weapons during his discharge.
The investigators initially connected Fomenko’s actions with the Criminal Code articles such as failure to comply with orders, going AWOL, and arms smuggling, but later decided not to open criminal cases under these articles.