March 06, 2025

Win Office, Escape War?


Win Office, Escape War?
Denis Tadyshev in military uniform. Altay: Glavnye Novosti (Tös Solundar), Telegram. 

An active serviceman in Russia's war in Ukraine was allowed to return home after winning a municipal election in his home village in the Altai Republic. His dismissal from duty caused controversy, since other soldiers were told to remain in the frontlines after being elected into office. 

Denis Tadyshev took leave from his military service from February 1 to 20, 2025, during which he won the election for head of Balyktuyul, a village of 1,500 residents in the Altai Republic. Tadyshev won 90% of the votes as candidate for United Russia, the same party as President Vladimir Putin.

On February 21, Tadyshev returned to his post in the frontlines. Since he was recalled back to service, he did not have time to formally take office. On February 27, he was dismissed from military duty and sent to register at a military enlistment office in Donetsk. Tadyshev remains in the occupied territory as of the writing of this article.

Lawyer Alexander Pereduk told Kommersant that he believes that winning an election is not grounds for military dismissal. Pereduk said that Putin's September 2022 mass mobilization decree only includes age, health conditions, and imprisonment as grounds for avoiding the draft.

However, according to the Federal Law "About Military Service and Military Duty," a civilian serving in the military by conscription is allowed to be dismissed if elected to a government position, including head of a municipality. Yet not everyone elected while fighting has been able to take office.

On September 10, 2023, Vycheslav Sleptsov was elected head of a village in Yakutia. When he presented papers for dismissal, they were denied, since he was still "required to report to the garrison for mobilization to the [war]." In December 2024, Sleptsov died in Makarovka, in occupied Donetsk. 

In March 2024, Putin instated the program "Time of Heroes" to "train highly qualified competent leaders among the participants of the [war] for subsequent work in state and municipal authorities, as well as state owned companies."

According to the acting head of Balyktuyul, Yekaterina Kobenova, once Tadyshev returns to his hometown, a session of the village council to confirm his election will take place.

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