Russian authorities suspended 1,379 criminal cases involving failure to pay child support in the first half of 2026 because the defendants were serving in the military. The figures, from the Federal Bailiff Service, were obtained and analyzed by the investigative outlet IStories. The cases fall under Article 157, Part 1, of Russia's Criminal Code.
Military service was also linked to the termination of 99 cases and the resumption of 675. By comparison, 1,462 cases were suspended over the same period because the accused could not be located, while 1,093 proceedings were terminated after outstanding debts were paid.
Suspending a criminal case does not cancel the underlying child-support debt. The obligation to provide financial support for children is separate from the procedural status of a criminal case over nonpayment.