At least 1112 criminal cases have been dismissed or suspended due to the departure of those involved to fight in Ukraine.

Least 317 Criminal cases against SVEO officers are currently suspended, according to Verstka. These include murder and rape cases. 795 The cases were closed for various reasons, including the new conscription law, death at the front, or the conclusion of a contract during wartime.

"It's one thing to sign a contract and atone for your guilt with bloodshed, ending up on the front lines, on the line of contact. It's quite another to be sent to a cushy position as a drone operator at the request of the unit's command. That's hardly atonement," a lawyer from Russia's southern region told Verstka.

A stay of proceedings is a temporary deferment, but it can lead to a permanent dismissal if, for example, a service member receives a state award, is seriously wounded, or dies. At least 275 criminal cases have already been dismissed due to the death of the accused.

This practice is widespread: defendants in pretrial detention centers and police stations are offered contracts in exchange for suspending investigations. Courts suspend cases for a wide range of offenses, including serious crimes such as murder, rape, and causing grievous bodily harm. However, most cases involve theft, drug offenses, and drunk driving. 

In some cases, when a defendant returns from war without sufficient grounds to fully dismiss the case, it is reopened. Unless, of course, the statute of limitations has expired during service at the front. Furthermore, service in the "SVO" is considered a mitigating circumstance when sentencing. 

As lawyers note, the actual number of Russians who signed contracts to avoid criminal punishment will only become known after the end of the mobilization period.