Court acquits Serhiy Hnezdilov, lets him resume service

The Babushkinskyi District Court of Dnipro city granted the motion filed by Serhiy Hnezdilov's defense to acquit him on condition that he resumes army service on January 23, Suspilne reports.

Families of soldiers gathered outside the courthouse to support Serhiy.

Lawyer Anastasia Burkovska said that Serhiy Hnezdilov was willing to resume service. They submitted a request to the Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade No. 56 and received written permission from the military unit. Appealing under Part 5 of Article 401 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, she filed a motion to get her client acquitted.

Serhiy Hnezdilov, soldier in the Mariupol Motorized Infantry Brigade No. 56. Photo by Suspilne Dnipro

For his part, Serhiy Hnezdilov noted that he had been stressing his willingness to resume service ever since he committed the crime. He assured that this was his voluntary decision.

Prosecutor Mykola Shelest noted that he had no objection to considering the motion to acquit the defendant if the latter agreed to serve in the army again.

Leaving the deliberation room, the judge announced that she had granted the defense motion. Serhiy Hnezdilov was acquitted. In three days he should resume service and will be a UAV operator. The judgement can be appealed within seven days.

Previously

On September 21, Serhiy Hnezdilov wrote on Facebook that he had left his duty station unauthorized to draw attention to the need to establish a service period for conscripts.

The Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade (SMIB) No. 53, where he serves, ordered an official investigation and announced that the serviceman "committed actions that contain signs of a crime."

The police opened a desertion case over Serhiy Hnezdilov leaving his duty station unauthorized.

On October 9, 2024, the State Bureau of Investigation detained Serhiy Hnezdilov on suspicion of deserting a military unit to evade military service under martial law (Part 4, Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He faces up to 12 years in prison.

The first hearing on the merits of the case regarding Serhiy Hnezdilov's unauthorized departure from his duty station took place in Dnipro on January 10. Earlier, the court ruled to keep him in custody until January 31.

Serhiy Hnezdilov is a Ukrainian serviceman, public activist and participant in the Russo-Ukrainian war. He volunteered for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2019, taking an academic leave from studying at the Journalism Department of the Lviv Polytechnic University.

Hnezdilov has taken part in battles in Donetsk oblast, including Pisky and Bakhmut. He is the founder of the cultural festival "VydelkaFest" in his hometown Vylkove in Odesa oblast, and hosts the "++ Podcast" on Hromadske, where he interviews soldiers and discusses the militarization of the society.