In the first half of 2026, garrison courts convicted a record number of peop...

In the first half of 2026, garrison courts convicted a record number of people for any such period in 16 years. These courts primarily hear cases involving military personnel

Garrison courts, which primarily hear cases involving military personnel, convicted 8,781 people under all articles of the Criminal Code in the first half of 2026—a record for such a period, Verstka found after examining data from the Judicial Department at the Supreme Court.

This is 42% more than in the first half of 2025, when 6,192 people were convicted; in the same period of 2024, the figure was 6,088. In the first halves of the years from 2011 through 2023, the corresponding figure ranged from 1,500 to 3,300 people.

Most of those convicted in the first half of 2026—6,078 people—were sentenced to imprisonment. This was also a record: in the first half of last year, 40% fewer people—3,643—received this punishment. In the first half of 2024, the figure was 2,908.

In every other year since 2011, the number of people receiving such sentences ranged from 278 to 823.

🟦Verstka and other media outlets previously reported that proceedings had begun in cases involving officers on the list from our special project, “The Nullifiers,” about executions in the Russian army. Cases were opened against officers Pavel Gudochkin (call sign “Boyets”) and Gennady Kazakov (“Yermak”), as well as against Alexander Tonilin (call sign “Tony”), a sniper from the 272nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 1st Tank Army.

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