Former Russian serviceman jailed for 15 days after discouraging his apprentices to go to Ukraine war

Oleg Borisenko, a former Russian serviceman from Russia’s Tambov, has been arrested for 15 days for dissuading his apprentices from going to the war in Ukraine, Tverdy Znak Tambov Telegram channel cites his son Dmitry.

Dmitry Borisenko says his father was formally detained for failing to pay a fine for jaywalking.

Oleg Borisenko faced criminal investigation earlier for repeated “discreditation” of the Russian military and had his home searched. It is unknown what triggered the criminal procedure. In one of his videos, Borisenko addressed his former apprentices and discouraged them from going to the Ukraine war.

“Get your brains together and think about what you’ll be involved in. What are you going to be part of, who are you going to liberate, and from what?” he said.

In May 2022, Borisenko was fined 30,000 rubles (€350) for “discrediting” the Russian military after he glued a sticker with an overscored letter Z to his car. Borisenko pleaded not guilty and made a point that the letter Z has nothing to do with the Russian military and resembles a Nazi symbol.

Oleg Borisenko established a “youth military and patriotic club” in the 2000s. In 2005, he ran for the Russian parliament as an independent candidate and gained 8% of the vote. He also fought in Chechnya, Syria, and Ukraine, the latter in 2014.