Human Rights Violations Report in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic

July 2026
Hava Beshtoeva

An analysis of open sources for July 2026, including data from the media, internet resources and statements by private individuals, reveals the permanence of the tendency toward violation of human rights and freedoms by the authorities and security structures of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, which are primarily connected with the politically motivated distortion of historical reality, the criminalization of freedom of speech, the persecution of citizens for their political position, repressions and judicial falsifications, as well as encroachment on the right to a fair trial. The documented incidents determine the relevance of further efforts to protect human rights in the republic.

Recognition of the genocide of the Circassians was discussed at a conference in Azerbaijan

In Shusha a conference titled “Cultural and Ethnic Diversity: Lessons of History, Contemporary Challenges” was held, organized by the public association “Centre for Cultural and Ethnic Diversity.” This organization was created on 20 January by the Azerbaijani journalist Seyfaddin Huseynli (Safarov) — two of his brothers died during a raid in Yekaterinburg in June 2025, and another brother is in detention in the Russian Federation.

It will be recalled that ethnic round-ups in Russia and reciprocal detentions of Russians in Azerbaijan followed the crash of an AZAL airline aircraft in Kazakhstan. Baku accused the authorities of the Russian Federation of extrajudicial reprisals against Azerbaijanis.

The participants discussed the historical experience of coexistence of peoples, the problems of indigenous ethnic groups and the challenges of the present day. Reports were delivered on new forms of colonial oppression and the situation of ethnic minorities. In a number of speeches and publications an acute discussion was noted around the actions of Russia and the involvement of representatives of minorities in combat operations. Experts and researchers from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Lithuania and other countries spoke at the event.

The participants of the conference in Shusha called on Russia to recognize the genocide of the Circassians and to stop compelling representatives of ethnic minorities to participate in the military operation in Ukraine.

The Russo-Circassian war was directed at the systematic destruction of an entire people, stated the researcher-journalist and analyst from Turkey Nalan Yazgan Erish.

“One of the most well-known figures of the Russian conquest, General Grigory Zass, gained notoriety by collecting the skulls of Circassians as trophies. And today in certain regions of the North Caucasus there exist monuments erected in honour of General Zass, and official events dedicated to his memory are held. For the descendants of the victims of the genocide such public glorification is a symbol not of reconciliation, but of the continuation of historical violence,” she emphasized.

According to her, in Russia conditions are not even created for peaceful commemorative events connected with the Circassians, and the participants of the silent memory procession that took place in 2025 in the city of Nalchik were subjected to administrative arrest. “The legal, political and cultural consequences of the Circassian genocide of 1864 continue to this day to influence the lives of the descendants of the victims,” she affirmed.

A researcher from Çukurova University in Turkey, Professor Cahit Aslan, stated that millions of Circassians living in different countries of the world strive to preserve their collective memory through family recollections, cultural rituals and commemorative ceremonies. The deportations of the peoples of the North Caucasus, including the Karachays, Balkars and Chechens, also left a deep mark on collective memory, the scholar indicated.

“Collective memory is not only a form of recollection of the past, but at the same time a will to build the future,” he emphasized.

A representative of the World Circassian Agency from the United States, Fatima Tlis, pointed out that while on the historical homeland of the Circassians the study of the native language is restricted and the right of return is blocked, and the constitutions of the national republics continue to be deprived of sovereign content, “the Circassian question will remain an open problem.”

The participants of the conference adopted a joint declaration in which they called for an end to the sending of representatives of ethnic minorities of Russia — Circassians, Lezgins, Avars, Kumyks, Chechens and other peoples — to the zone of the military operation by means of pressure, persecution, blackmail and deprivation of liberty.

They also called on Russia to recognize the genocide of the Circassians and other peoples, to renounce the heroization of persons involved in mass killings, to ensure access to archival materials on historical topics, and also to suppress manifestations of chauvinism, xenophobia and attacks on representatives of non-Russian peoples.

It will be recalled that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine at the beginning of 2025 recognized the genocide of the Circassians during the Caucasian War and called on Russia to apologize for it. Circassian organizations and activists abroad welcomed the recognition by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the genocide of the Circassians and expressed the hope that this would lead to the recognition of the genocide by other countries.

Links:
https://ru.apa.az/social/v-suse-otkrylas-mezdunarodnaya-konferenciya-na-temu-kulturnoe-i-etniceskoe-mnogoobrazie-uroki-istorii-sovremennye-vyzovy-obnovleno-660430
https://youtu.be/CUVQB98JcEI?si=l0PLCdW6vv68ebMz

Scholars and researchers confirmed the conclusions voiced in Shusha

The Caucasian War, which lasted from 1763 to 1864, brought the Adyghe peoples to the brink of disappearance. After the war and the mass deportation of the Adyghes to the Ottoman Empire, little more than 50 thousand of them remained on their homeland. The authorities of Russia have still not taken a decision on recognition of the genocide of the Circassians during the war — on the contrary, activism in this direction is actively criminalized.

At the same time, entire Adyghe sub-ethnic groups literally disappeared as a result of Russia’s aggressive colonialism.

Thus, the Ubykhs — an indigenous people of the Western Caucasus — after the conquest of the Caucasus by the Russians in 1858–1865 almost completely resettled to the Ottoman Empire and rapidly assimilated, so that even the approximate number of descendants of the Ubykhs in modern Turkey cannot be established. According to data of the 2010 population census, the nationality “Ubykh” does not exist in Russia. The Ubykh language is today considered dead: its last speaker was Tevfik Esenç, who died in 1992.

The eviction of the Ubykhs from their native lands as a result of the Caucasian War was in fact inevitable, historians consider. According to them, the descendants living in Turkey remember their origin, but their identity has been erased.

By the end of the Caucasian War there were already no alternatives to eviction from the mountains for the Ubykhs, noted Erast Vardaniya in a conversation with a correspondent of “Kavkazsky Uzel.”

Merab Chukhua noted that the eviction of the Ubykhs would have taken place in any case, despite their actions, since the decision on this had been taken by the authorities of the Russian Empire. “There was a project of General Grigory Filipson on the subordination of the Ubykhs with the help of, as they now say, ‘soft power,’ but the upper hand was taken by the opinion of the Viceroy of the Caucasus Alexander Baryatinsky and General Nikolai Evdokimov on the creation of a ‘Circassia without Circassians,’” he recounted.

Speaking about the contemporary preservation of the memory of the Ubykhs, the Circassian activist Kase Kik noted that the territory of Sochi, where the Ubykhs lived, occupies a special place in the historical memory of the Circassian people.

“For many Circassians this is sacred land, an inseparable part of our historical and cultural heritage. It was here that the last capital of Circassia was located, as well as the historical centre of the Ubykhs — one of the Circassian sub-ethnic groups. As a result of the Russo-Circassian War the Ubykh people were forced to leave their historical homeland. Subsequently the Ubykh language also disappeared. However, the memory has not disappeared. Descendants of the Ubykhs live today as well, preserve the memory of their origin, and the history of the Ubykhs remains an inseparable part of the common history of the Circassian people. That is precisely why Sochi has for Circassians not only historical but also deep symbolic significance. For many Circassians Sochi is a kind of ‘Circassian Jerusalem’ — a place of historical memory with which the people preserve a firm spiritual connection. Descendants of the Ubykhs are together with us at all events. Only the language of the Ubykhs perished in this bloody war, but the descendants remained. The Ubykhs are part of the Circassians and of Circassia, culturally, politically and spiritually. This closeness existed a century ago, and it is the same now. We will never renounce the memory or Sochi. This is the most important part of our history, our culture and our national memory, which we will carefully preserve and pass on to future generations. We stand on the position that the indigenous (Circassian) population must return to the homeland, repatriate to Circassia, including to the territory of Sochi,” he declared.

On 16 July a court in Russia sentenced the Circassian activist, head of the “International Circassian Political Committee” Kase Kik to seven years’ imprisonment, finding him guilty of disseminating fakes about the army motivated by political hatred. On 5 December 2025 Rosfinmonitoring entered his data with a mark of involvement in terrorism into the list of terrorists and extremists.

The Caucasian War, which lasted from 1763 to 1864, brought the Adyghe peoples to the brink of disappearance. After the war and the mass deportation of the Adyghes to the Ottoman Empire, little more than 50 thousand of them remained on their homeland. In forced immigration there are 5.5–5.6 million people.

Link:
https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/425017

Replenishment of the list of extremists and terrorists

In July 2026 another six natives of Kabardino-Balkaria were included in the list of extremists and terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring. These are residents of Baksan, Prokhladny, Baksansky, Prokhladnensky and Urvansky districts aged from 18 to 42 years. Replenishment of the list often occurs at the expense of persons who disagree with the political course and activists.

Link:
https://t.me/gazetayuga/12483

Accusation of financing a terrorist organisation

Investigators of Kabardino-Balkaria have opened a criminal case against a local resident, born in 1981, suspected of financing terrorist activity.

According to the investigation, the suspect shared the goals and tasks of an international terrorist organisation whose activity is banned on the territory of the Russian Federation, the press service of the regional Investigative Committee reported today in its Telegram channel.

While on the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria, in 2020 he repeatedly transferred monetary funds to the account of a person who is an active participant of a terrorist organisation.

“The actions of the suspect were identified by officers of the FSB of Russia for Kabardino-Balkaria. A measure of restraint in the form of detention in custody has been chosen for the suspect. Investigative actions aimed at collecting and consolidating the evidentiary base are being conducted in the criminal case,” the agency’s statement says.

The statement of the Investigative Committee does not name the suspect, nor does it specify to a member of which terrorist organisation the transfers were made — it will be recalled that in the Russian Federation such organisations as the “Free Russia Forum,” the “Russian Volunteer Corps” (RDK), and the “Azov” battalion have been recognised as terrorist. Recognised as extremist are the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) of Navalny, the “International LGBT Public Movement,” the “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” “Meta,” and others.

Link:
https://kbr.sledcom.ru/news/item/2105217/?print=1

Cycle of persecutions under “anti-war” articles

• For a video in a messenger a court in Nalchik fined local resident Yana Keshtova, finding that it had discredited Russian military personnel.

According to the case materials, Nalchik resident Yana Keshtova recorded a video clip with statements about her disagreement with the actions of Russian military personnel and sent this video via messenger. The content of the clip became known to the security forces; they drew up material against Keshtova on the discrediting of the army and sent it to court.

In court the Nalchik resident admitted her guilt and repented. The Nalchik City Court found her guilty of discrediting the army and fined her 31 thousand roubles, it is reported in the case card published on the court’s website.

Link:
https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/424680

• For a slogan in support of Ukraine a court fined a resident of Chegemsky District of Kabardino-Balkaria, Felix Tukov, finding that the slogan he uttered in a video on the Internet had discredited Russian military personnel.

According to the case materials, resident of Chegemsky District Felix Tukov recorded a video in the frames of which he expressed criticism of Vladimir Putin and also uttered a slogan in support of Ukraine. He then published this clip on the Internet. The video was discovered by the security forces and they drew up a protocol against Tukov.

The Chegemsky District Court found Tukov guilty of discrediting the armed forces of the Russian Federation and fined him 30 thousand roubles, it is stated in the case card published on the court’s website.

Link:
https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/425025

• For a video on the Internet a court in Chegemsky District fined local resident Musa Kuchmenov, finding that the video he published on the Internet had discredited military personnel.

According to the case materials, resident of Chegemsky District Musa Kuchmenov recorded a video that contained signs of discrediting the armed forces and then published it on the Internet.

At the court hearing Kuchmenov admitted his guilt and asked not to be punished strictly. The Chegemsky District Court fined him, finding him guilty of discrediting the army, it is indicated in the case card published on the court’s website.

The case materials do not indicate the sum to which Kuchmenov was fined.

Link:
https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/425069

• For a video on the social network “VKontakte” a court fined a resident of Chereksky District of Kabardino-Balkaria, Kazbek Kazakov, finding that what he published had discredited the army.

According to the case materials, resident of Chereksky District Kazbek Kazakov published on his page on the social network “VKontakte” a video that contained a call to evade service in the army. The clip was discovered by the security forces. They considered that its content discredits the army.

In court Kazbek Kazakov explained that out of ignorance he had copied the video and posted it on his page on “VKontakte.” He repented of what he had done and admitted guilt. The court found Kazakov guilty of discrediting the armed forces and fined him 15 thousand roubles, it is indicated in the case card published on the website of the Chereksky District Court.

Link:
https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/425277

• For publicly undisclosed reasons a court in Nalchik fined local resident Diana Zhaboeva, finding her guilty of discrediting military personnel.

According to the case materials, officers of the law-enforcement bodies drew up a protocol on the discrediting of the army against Nalchik resident Diana Zhaboeva and then sent the materials to court.

The Nalchik City Court found Zhaboeva guilty under Part 1 of Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation “Discrediting the armed forces of Russia” and fined her, it is reported in the case card published on the court’s website.

The amount of the fine, as well as details of the case against Zhaboeva, are not given.

Link:
https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/425251

It will be recalled that on 4 March 2022 responsibility for discrediting the armed forces was introduced; since then residents of Russia, including Kabardino-Balkaria, have been prosecuted under the corresponding Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation. It provides for citizens a fine of from 30 thousand to 100 thousand roubles, and a repeated violation within a year threatens criminal prosecution.

But in this practice there are rare exceptions:

• The repeated return to the police of a case on the discrediting of the army against a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, Sosruko Kantsaliev, is an exception from judicial practice. The security forces had to send the case to court three times because they were unable to eliminate violations in the materials, analysts indicated.

As we wrote in the previous report, the Nalchik City Court three times returned to the police the case on the discrediting of the army against local resident Sosruko Kantsaliev, since the protocol had been drawn up without his participation. Kantsaliev himself is presumably in the zone of the special military operation.

If the protocol was drawn up without the participation of the defendant and he was not familiarised with its content, then the court may return the materials to the security forces. The police could well have established the whereabouts of Kantsaliev, even if he was in the zone of the special military operation, by contacting the Ministry of Defence, a lawyer explained.

The time limits of such a “carousel” of materials are not limited; they can be redrawn an unlimited number of times — in the end, if the statute of limitations expires, the person will not be held liable.

The statute of limitations under the administrative article on the discrediting of the army is 90 days, and if within this time the judge has not delivered a decision at first instance, then the person will not be held liable. Judges try to avoid the practice of terminating cases, preferring to return the materials to the police for the elimination of shortcomings.

It is noteworthy that the security forces could well have found Kantsaliev: at the time of concluding a contract with the Ministry of Defence the registration address changes to the place of deployment of the military unit. Accordingly a summons may arrive there, and to the court — via “Gosuslugi.”

Links:
https://t.me/rusnews/87202
https://ombudsman.media/ru/%D0%9E%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D0%B8%D1%8E%D0%BD%D1%8C-2026-%D0%9A%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE-%D0%91%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F/

• Placement in a psychiatric hospital became the punishment for a native of Nalchik, the Z-blogger Ilya Remeslo, detained by security forces in Saint Petersburg after the sharp change in his attitude to the special military operation surprised the head of the special forces “Akhmat,” Apti Alaudinov. The case is being investigated under the article on the dissemination of fakes about the army motivated by political hatred — under Part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation motivated by political hatred).

The case is being investigated by the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. Remeslo will be delivered to the Investigative Committee for the conduct of investigative actions. Following the interrogation the question of choosing a measure of restraint for him will be decided.

After hospitalisation in a psychiatric hospital Remeslo spent a week there.

Link:
https://www.rbc.ru/spb_sz/19/03/2026/69bc14d39a7947e5df990b67?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

After leaving the hospital he again actively conducted his Telegram channel, which has more than 122 thousand subscribers. He continued criticism of the actions of the authorities, and also offered a paid subscription to his articles about the activity of the administration of the President of the Russian Federation and his legal accompaniment of the work of companies.

Journalist Ksenia Sobchak called the detention of the blogger expected. “Everything looked as if Remeslo himself wanted this and himself was asking for it, knowing the realities of the system,” she wrote in her Telegram channel.

Link:
https://glavny.tv/last-news/russia/sobchak-prokommentirovala-zaderzhanie-remeslo-frazoy-sam-naprashivalsya/

The Basmanny District Court of Moscow remanded in custody the blogger Ilya Remeslo, previously detained in Petersburg and delivered to the capital. He is accused of the public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation motivated by political hatred (point “d” of Part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code of Russia). Remeslo has been arrested for two months, until 16 September 2026.

Links:
https://www.dp.ru/a/2026/08/26/obvinjaemogo-v-fejkah-o-vs
https://zona.media/news/2026/07/17/remeslo-arest

However, at the end of July the blogger Ilya Remeslo was again placed in a psychiatric hospital — this time in the Serbsky Institute of Social and Forensic Psychiatry in Moscow.

Ilya Remeslo, accused of disseminating fakes about the armed forces of the Russian Federation, was transferred from a Moscow pre-trial detention centre to the V.P. Serbsky Institute, the news agency TASS reported with reference to a source in medical circles. Subsequently the source clarified the reason for the hospitalisation — a psychiatric examination had been ordered for the blogger.

Links:
https://www.fontanka.ru/2026/07/26/76554026/
https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2026/07/27/iliu-remeslo-otpravili-iz-sizo-v-institut-psikhiatrii-imeni-serbskogo-news
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/07/27/ex-kremlin-loyalist-ilya-remeslo-placed-in-moscow-psychiatric-facility-a93346/pdf

In the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic members of a resistance movement who were preparing attacks on buildings of law-enforcement bodies were detained

According to the investigation, members of a conspiratorial cell of an organisation banned in the Russian Federation that was operating in Baksansky District were preparing attacks in Kabardino-Balkaria on buildings of law-enforcement bodies in order to seize weapons and then go underground.

The security forces detained eight members of the cell. During searches at the addresses of their residence, 10 units of rifled and smoothbore weapons, 500 cartridges, five kilograms of gunpowder, 12 improvised incendiary devices and components for their manufacture, 18 knives, three Motorola radio stations, medicines, equipment for living in mountainous-wooded terrain and food products were discovered in a cache, Interfax today cited a statement of the FSB.

Criminal cases have been opened on preparation for a terrorist act, organisation of the activity of a terrorist organisation and participation in the activity of such an organisation.

Links:
https://www.interfax.ru/russia/1101653
https://cisatc.org/ru/obstanovka-i-sobytiya/chleny-terroristicheskoj-yachejki-gotovivshie-napadeniya-na-pravookhranitelej-zaderzhany-v-kbr

In July 2026, 15 people were sentenced by the Nalchik Garrison Military Court to real terms for unauthorised abandonment of a unit during the period of mobilisation*

In particular:

• Akhmed Shamurzaev, whom the court in Nalchik sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, finding him guilty of evasion of military service. The convicted person will serve the sentence in a general-regime colony.

Serviceman Shamurzaev was convicted of committing a crime under Part 5 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The article provides for from five to ten years’ imprisonment.

According to the case materials, without valid reasons on 23 October 2025, that is “during the period of mobilisation,” he failed to appear at the appointed time for service in a military unit, the court’s press service reported today on its page on “VKontakte.”

On 6 April 2026 Shamurzaev was discovered in Mozdok by police officers who had been searching for him for evasion of military service. From 23 October 2025 until 6 April 2026 he “spent time at his own discretion at his place of residence,” the court’s statement says.

• Aleksandr Ilyin, whom the court in Nalchik sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in a general-regime colony, finding him guilty of absence from service for four months.

According to the case materials, serviceman Aleksandr Ilyin on 17 December 2024 failed to appear at the appointed time for service. Police officers discovered him on 16 April of the current year in Mozdok. The investigation considers that all this time Ilyin spent time at his own discretion, including at his place of residence, the court’s press service reported today on its page on the social network “VKontakte.”

• Serviceman Skvortsov, whom the court in Nalchik sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in a general-regime colony, finding him guilty of absence from service for more than a year.

According to the court’s materials, Skvortsov without valid reasons on 24 February 2025 during the period of mobilisation failed to appear by the appointed deadline for service in a military unit in Leningrad Region, the press service of the Nalchik Garrison Military Court informs on its page on “VKontakte.”

On 16 April 2026 Skvortsov voluntarily arrived at the military investigative department in Mozdok, and “from 24 February 2025 until 16 April 2026 spent time at his own discretion at his place of residence,” the court’s statement says.

• Serviceman Bizhoev, whom the Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced to six years in a colony for failure to appear at a military unit and unauthorised abandonment of the place of service.

The Nalchik Garrison Military Court delivered a sentence to the serviceman with the surname Bizhoev, finding him guilty of committing two crimes under Part 5 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation; the court’s press service reported this on 1 July on its page on “VKontakte.”

It was established in court that Bizhoev on 6 November 2024 and 9 December 2025, in both cases during the period of mobilisation, first failed to appear at the appointed time for service in a military unit, and in the second case unauthorisedly left the place of service and resided at his place of residence in the first case until 27 November 2025, and in the second case until 12 April 2026.

In the first episode the serviceman voluntarily arrived at the police department of Leskenskiy District of Kabardino-Balkaria, and in the second — voluntarily arrived at a military unit in North Ossetia.

During the court hearing Bizhoev fully admitted guilt in the commission of the crimes and expressed regret about what he had done.

• Timur Kharisov, whom the Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for unauthorised abandonment of a unit during mobilisation.

Kharisov was charged with unauthorised abandonment of the place of service during the period of mobilisation (Part 5 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). This article provides for from five to 10 years’ imprisonment.

According to the court’s data, on 7 August 2025 Kharisov without valid reasons left the temporary deployment point of the military unit. For more than eight months, until 15 April 2026, he spent time at his own discretion, including at his home. A police officer located him in Mozdok, the press service of the Nalchik Garrison Military Court reported on its “VKontakte” page.

• Sergey Serafimovich, whom the court in Nalchik sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in a general-regime colony, finding him guilty of absence from service for more than a month.

According to the case materials, on 27 March 2025 serviceman Sergey Serafimovich failed to appear for service in a military unit, and then on 9 April 2025 himself appeared at the military investigative department in Mozdok. Then on 10 June 2025 he again failed to appear for service, and on 27 April of the current year arrived at the military commandant’s office in Mozdok. The investigation considers that in both cases Serafimovich was at his place of residence and spent time at his own discretion.

• Ravil Sadykov, whom the court in Nalchik sentenced to one year of imprisonment in a general-regime colony, finding him guilty of unauthorised abandonment of a unit.

According to the case materials, serviceman Ravil Sadykov from 30 December 2025 to 13 January of the current year was absent from service in a military unit deployed in Ingushetia. The investigation considers that all this time he was at his place of residence and spent time at his own discretion, the court’s press service reported today on its page on the social network “VKontakte.”

• Timur Nasypliev, whom the Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced to 5.5 years in a general-regime colony for two failures to appear for service during the period of mobilisation.

Nasypliev was charged with two episodes of failure to appear on time for service lasting more than a month during the period of mobilisation (Part 5 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of Russia). This article provides for from five to ten years’ imprisonment.

According to the version of the accusation, on 19 May 2025 Nasypliev failed to appear at the appointed time at a military unit deployed in Rostov Region. On 23 September a police officer discovered him at his place of residence. The serviceman spent more than four months at home.

On 1 December 2025 Nasypliev again failed to appear for service — this time at another military unit deployed in Mozdok. On 15 April 2026 he himself came to the military investigative department in Nalchik. This time he also “spent time at his own discretion” at his home — another four and a half months, it follows from the statement of the press service of the Nalchik Garrison Military Court.

• Akhmed Apazhev, whom the Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced to five years in a general-regime colony for unauthorised abandonment of service during the period of mobilisation.

Apazhev was charged with unauthorised abandonment of the place of service lasting more than one month, committed during the period of mobilisation (Part 5 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of Russia). This article provides for from five to ten years’ imprisonment.

According to the version of the accusation, on 6 November 2025 Apazhev unauthorisedly left the temporary deployment point of his military unit. On 13 April 2026 he himself appeared at the military commandant’s office of Mozdok. All the time between these dates — more than five months — he, as the court indicated, “spent time at his own discretion, including at his place of residence,” the press service of the Nalchik Garrison Military Court reported on its official page on “VKontakte.”

• Aslanbek Dzhambulatov, whom the court in Nalchik sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, finding him guilty of absence from service for almost two months.

According to the case materials, serviceman Aslanbek Dzhambulatov on 14 April failed to appear on time for service in a military unit deployed in Mozdok. On 11 June he himself arrived at the police department for Mozdoksky District. The investigation considers that from 14 April until 11 June Dzhambulatov was at his place of residence and spent time at his own discretion, the court’s press service reported on its page on the social network “VKontakte.”

• Marat Shikov, whom the Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced to five years in a general-regime colony for absence from service for more than four months.

Serviceman Shikov was accused of unauthorised abandonment of service during the period of mobilisation for more than a month (Part 5 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of Russia). This article provides for from five to ten years’ imprisonment.

As the court established, on 26 December 2025 Shikov failed to appear for service at the temporary deployment point of the military unit. Only on 7 May police officers located him in Chereksky District of Kabardino-Balkaria. For more than four months the serviceman “spent time at his own discretion, including at his place of residence,” the court’s press service reported on its “VKontakte” page.

• Navruzbeg Gadzhimuradov, to whom the Military Court in Nalchik assigned a punishment in the form of one year of imprisonment in a general-regime colony, finding him guilty of unauthorised abandonment of the place of service.

He was charged with failure to appear for service during the period of mobilisation lasting more than ten days but not more than a month (Part 3.1 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of Russia). The article provides for up to seven years’ imprisonment.

According to the version of the accusation, Gadzhimuradov unauthorisedly left the military unit on 27 April 2026 and went home. On 19 May he decided to return to service and voluntarily arrived at the military investigative department deployed in Mozdok (North Ossetia-Alania), the court’s press service reported on its “VKontakte” page.

• Kamil Abrekov, to whom the Military Court in Nalchik assigned a punishment in the form of one year of imprisonment in a general-regime colony, finding him guilty of unauthorised abandonment of the place of service.

He was charged with failure to appear for service during the period of mobilisation lasting more than ten days but not more than a month (Part 3.1 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of Russia). The article provides for up to seven years’ imprisonment.

Abrekov, according to the version of the accusation, without valid reasons left the temporary deployment point of the military unit on 20 May 2026. He also went home and “spent time at his own discretion” until 11 June — on that day a police officer detained him in the village of Kizlyar of Mozdoksky District of North Ossetia, the press service of the Nalchik Garrison Military Court reported.

• Fanil Shafikov, whom the Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for absence from service during the period of mobilisation.

According to the case materials, serviceman Shafikov without valid reasons on 4 April 2026, that is during the period of mobilisation, unauthorisedly left the place of service, the press service of the Nalchik Garrison Military Court informs on its page on “VKontakte.”

On 2 May 2026 Shafikov voluntarily arrived at the military investigative department in Nalchik, and from 4 April until 2 May he spent time at his own discretion in Kabardino-Balkaria.

• Garnik Martirosyan, whom the court in Nalchik sentenced to one year and two months of imprisonment, finding him guilty of absence from service for more than ten days.

According to the case materials, contract serviceman Garnik Martirosyan on 9 September 2025 failed to appear for service in a military unit, and on 22 September 2025 himself appeared at the military investigative department. The investigation considers that all this time Martirosyan was at his place of residence and spent time at his own discretion, the court’s press service reported on the institution’s page on the social network “VKontakte.”

Link:
https://vk.com/public215822488

In total, only in July 2026 15 people in Kabardino-Balkaria were sentenced to real terms for unauthorised abandonment of a unit during the period of mobilisation*.

At the same time, on 21 September 2022 Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilisation, and on 28 October of the same year the Minister of Defence reported to the president on its completion, yet a corresponding decree did not follow. Lawyers came to the conclusion that a presidential decree is not needed for the completion of partial mobilisation, the press secretary of Putin explained.

It is important that all the above-described incidents occurred much later than 28 October 2022, that is after the completion of partial mobilisation.

On 24 September 2022 Parts 2.1, 3.1 and 5 of Article 337 on unauthorised abandonment of a unit or place of service during the period of mobilisation were introduced into the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The amendments provide for imprisonment for a term of up to 10 years. The toughening of the laws after the announcement of mobilisation led to more severe sentences for absence from a military unit.

At the same time, as of the end of June 2026 since the beginning of the military operation in Ukraine, no fewer than 463 servicemen from Kabardino-Balkaria have been officially recognised as killed.

In June 2026 it became known that the following will not return from Ukraine:

Denis Ladynsky (Prokhladny)
Nikolai Shapovalov (Prokhladny)
Andrei Lebedev (Prokhladny)
Sergey Vinokurov (Prokhladny)
Murat Kutov (Prokhladny)
Igor Zhdanov (Prokhladny)
Denis Golovko (Prokhladny)
Maksim Kurochkin (Prokhladny)
Sergey Trofimov (Prokhladny)
Denis Danchenko (Prokhladny)
Ilya Berezin (Prokhladny)
Yusup Niyazov (Prokhladny)
Dmitry Kusmachev (Prokhladny)
Anton Shubin (Prokhladny)
Oleg Chepchugov (Prokhladny)
Vitaliy Dolgan (Prokhladny)
Dmitry Chepkov (Prokhladny)
Sergey Demidov (Prokhladny)
Asker Afaunov (Prokhladny)
Semyon Sychev (Prokhladny)
Dmitry Semenenko (Prokhladny)
Mirabi Kharaev (Prokhladny)
Anton Boyko (Prokhladny)
Roman Glokker (Prokhladny)
Andrei Tabakov (Prokhladny)
Aleksandr Baltsok (Prokhladny)
Aleksandr Fedorichev (Prokhladny)
Sergey Petrenkov (Prokhladny)
Sergey Pekar (Prokhladny)
Viktor Ustich (Prokhladny)
Maksim Metioglov (Prokhladny)
Evgeny Syursin (Prokhladny)
Sergey Pronin (Prokhladny)
Petr Semenov (Prokhladny)
Ilkin Nikonov (Prokhladny)
Zelim Khaptsev (Prokhladny)
Daniil Korbov (Prokhladny)
Vladimir Kalambetov (Prokhladny)
Ivan Lunev (Prokhladny)
Igor Belov (Prokhladny)
Kazbek Tauchev (Tersky District)
Alim Kazanov (Baksansky District)
Rustam Kanloev (Leskenskiy District)

Thus, no fewer than 463 fighters from Kabardino-Balkaria have been officially recognised as killed in the special military operation.

At the same time, in total no fewer than 4,733 fighters from the North Caucasus Federal District and 4,773 military personnel from the Southern Federal District have been officially recognised as killed in the special operation in Ukraine.

Representatives of the authorities and security structures since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine have officially recognised the death of no fewer than 9,500 fighters from the regions of southern Russia and the republics of the North Caucasus.

According to official data as of the end of July, no fewer than 4,733 fighters from the North Caucasus Federal District have been killed in the course of the military operation.

The largest number of fallen natives of the North Caucasus Federal District still falls to Dagestan — 2,045 fighters. The death of 966 military personnel from Stavropol Krai, 589 from North Ossetia, 463 from Kabardino-Balkaria, 265 from Chechnya, 205 from Ingushetia and 200 from Karachay-Cherkessia has been confirmed.

In the Southern Federal District 4,773 military personnel have been officially recognised as killed in the course of the special operation. The largest number of fallen falls to Volgograd Region — 1,816. The death of 956 military personnel from Rostov Region, 873 from Krasnodar Krai, 752 from Astrakhan Region, 235 from Kalmykia and 141 from Adygea has also been confirmed.

It will be recalled that real losses among servicemen from the North Caucasus may substantially exceed the official data. This concerns all regions of the North Caucasus Federal District, but is especially relevant for Chechnya. In February 2023 Ramzan Kadyrov called on the leaders of the regions not to disclose the numbers of those killed.

Activists against the special military operation

Many national activists have spoken out against the participation of their people in the invasion of Ukraine. Thus, the leading Circassian activist Ibrahim Yaganov was the first to declare this, stating that “this is not our war.” In March 2026 similar conclusions were voiced by Aidamir Kazanokov:

“Circassians are not allowed to be a people — but they are allowed to be expendable material.

In Nalchik, in Kabardino-Balkaria, Circassians are forbidden rallies, processions and any forms of self-organisation. We are not allowed to be a people in our own home: it is forbidden to hold Adyghe Dzhegu — traditional games, it is forbidden to fully celebrate 14 March — the Day of the Circassian Language, it is forbidden to celebrate 25 April — the Day of the Circassian Flag, it is forbidden to honour the memory of those who fell for the freedom of Circassia on 20 May, it is forbidden on 21 May to go out on a procession on the anniversary of the end of the Russo-Circassian War of 1763–1864.

But under the same national-ideological and religious sauce — it is allowed to go to someone else’s war. It is allowed to die for the interests of a state that destroyed our country, scattered the people and to this day forbids us to restore historical memory and develop our own culture. The only question is: why are we not allowed to live as a people — but allowed to die as a resource?”

Link:
https://t.me/The_Circassian_Times/14514

He also noted: “Lately calls to join volunteer battalions are heard ever more often. Newspapers, advertising of contract service and interviews with front-line soldiers create the sensation that young people should strive more and more to go to war.

The head of the volunteer unit ‘Elbrus’ calls to follow him and talks about ‘comfortable conditions’ at the front. When the combat zone is described as a ‘sanatorium with a religious bias,’ a sensation of absurdity arises. Halal food and rooms for prayer are worthy conditions for life, but can they be an argument for participation in the heaviest military conflict?

The national environment, language and faith should unite and preserve the people, and not serve as a beautiful wrapper for attracting people into the combat zone.”

Link:
https://t.me/The_Circassian_Times/14515

Conclusion. The events documented in the report for July 2026 in Kabardino-Balkaria represent a visualisation of a stable vector toward the consistent permanent violation of basic human rights. An alarming aspect of the repressions has become the increasing cases of persecution under “anti-war articles” and mass sentences for desertion (Article 337 of the Criminal Procedure Code) in the light of the policy of prolonged cultural colonialism.

In the Russian legal context “anti-war offences” primarily include criminal charges for the dissemination of “knowingly false information” about the Armed Forces (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and repeated “discrediting” of the army (Article 280.3 of the Criminal Procedure Code), as well as the corresponding administrative offences. According to data of the human rights project “OVD-Info,” from February 2022 throughout the country more than 1,180 people have been subjected to criminal prosecution in connection with an anti-war position. Human rights organisations single out the North Caucasus as a region with an exceptionally high density of persecutions in anti-war cases. In the North Caucasus hundreds of administrative cases under Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences have been documented. Because of the legal mechanism of recidivism, repeated administrative offences often grow into full-fledged criminal charges. Documented prison terms in these specific districts number in the dozens, mainly because of comments on social networks, solitary pickets or the dissemination of anti-war literature.

Residents of both the Southern Federal District and the North Caucasus Federal District are regularly entered into national registers of political prisoners. In addition, in the southern regions a sharp growth in the number of high-stakes criminal charges is observed, including state treason, espionage and sabotage.

Political and anti-war persecutions in the North Caucasus have pronounced regional features. In addition to the standard laws on “fake news” and “discrediting,” regional authorities actively use charges of extremism, terrorism and attacks on officers of law-enforcement bodies. Moreover, punitive measures as a rule extend not only to individual persons but also to the relatives of the accused.

Although consolidated regional judicial data for the North Caucasus Federal District and the Southern Federal District remain classified, human rights organisations consistently rank the North Caucasus among the regions with the largest number of cases connected with desertion on a nationwide scale. By the middle of 2025 more than 18,000 criminal cases on desertion had been submitted to Russian courts. Leaked data from the databases of the Ministry of Defence showed that only in the Southern Military District (Southern Federal District) more than 26,000 servicemen had been classified as having unauthorisedly abandoned a unit or place of service.