The Presnensky Court in Moscow has rejected a lawsuit filed by former Russian Interior Ministry colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko, known as the "golden colonel," against Russia's Ministry of Defense over its refusal to send him to fight in the war in Ukraine, which Russian officials refer to as the "special military operation." The ruling was reported by the state news agency TASS.
The court's electronic case database confirmed the claim was denied. Zakharchenko, who was convicted on bribery charges, had asked the court to reconsider his application to sign a contract allowing him to take part in the operation.
Lawyer describes years of delays
His lawyer, Oleg Sereda, has said Zakharchenko has wanted to be sent to the front for several years, but that his applications have been reviewed for months at a time. According to Sereda, the paperwork was first lost, then digitized, and Zakharchenko was eventually told there were no vacancies available.
Sereda said his client had agreed to take on any role, including serving as an assault trooper, but that a visiting military medical commission declared him unfit for service before completing all of the required tests.
Reprimands and strict detention conditions
Zakharchenko has been held under strict conditions since August 2025, including round-the-clock video surveillance and a ban on visits, parcels and phone calls. In the space of one week, he received four disciplinary reprimands: for having a towel on the wrong side of his cell, for refusing twice to identify himself to a member of staff, and for not moving his hand behind his back quickly enough.
Sereda said all of the reprimands were being challenged in court, but that there was now no possibility of Zakharchenko being granted parole.
It was previously reported that Zakharchenko had lost significant weight and begun experiencing so-called polar stress while held at penal colony No. 49 in the settlement of Misha-Yag, in the Pechora district of the Komi Republic.
Who is Dmitry Zakharchenko
Zakharchenko was detained on September 9, 2016, and accused of taking bribes, abusing his official position and obstructing the investigation into his conduct. Searches of his home at the time uncovered 8.5 billion rubles in cash, a discovery that made him one of the most notorious corruption cases in modern Russian law enforcement and earned him the nickname the "golden colonel." He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
