Former Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko, known as the golden colonel, is seeking to join the military forces in Ukraine from prison, Russian media outlet KP.RU reported.
His defense lawyer, Oleg Sereda, said Zakharchenko has been trying for more than a year to sign a service contract with the Ministry of Defence. Sereda explained that authorities took months to review the applications after losing the initial paperwork, digitizing the file, and eventually claiming there were no vacant positions.
The former police officer agreed to accept any military assignment offered to him, including serving as a stormtrooper in frontline assault units. However, a military medical commission that arrived at the penal colony declared him unfit for service before he could complete all of his medical tests.
Strict regime and disciplinary infractions
Since August 2025, Zakharchenko has been held under a strict confinement regime inside the facility. The inmate remains under round-the-clock video surveillance and has been deprived of rights to receive visitors, accept care packages, or make telephone calls.
During a single week, prison authorities issued four disciplinary penalties against him. The infractions cited included placing a towel on the wrong side, twice refusing to identify himself to a prison staff member, and failing to put his hands behind his back in a timely manner.
Sereda stated that the legal defense team is actively challenging all four penalties in court. He acknowledged that due to these disciplinary actions, any potential request for conditional early release or parole is currently off the table.
Deteriorating health in northern prison
Earlier reports indicated that Zakharchenko has experienced significant weight loss while serving his sentence. He is incarcerated at Penal Colony No. 49, situated in the settlement of Misha-Yag near Pechora in the Komi Republic.
Reports noted that the former officer has been suffering from polar stress during his imprisonment. The Komi Republic, located in northwestern Russia near the Arctic Circle, is known for harsh subarctic conditions, prolonged winter darkness, and extreme temperatures that present severe physical challenges to inmates.
Multi-billion ruble corruption case
Zakharchenko was detained by law enforcement agencies on September 9, 2016. Investigators charged the former police official with receiving bribes, abusing his official powers, and obstructing an ongoing criminal investigation.
During searches of properties linked to him, investigators uncovered cash totaling 8.5 billion rubles. The seizure marked one of the largest corruption busts in modern Russian history, leading to his conviction and a 16-year prison sentence.
While his legal team proceeds with court challenges against the penal colony's disciplinary penalties, Zakharchenko remains imprisoned under the heightened surveillance regime.
