KEMEROVO, June 24 The Tomsk Garrison Military Court arrested contract deserter Andrei Bykov, accused of murdering a 12-year-old girl in Kuzbass, according to the court’s website.
The girl disappeared on June 18 in the city of Topki, the next day her body with signs of violent death was found in a well next to an abandoned building. A suspect was detained — as reported by the regional department of the RF Investigative Committee, a 49-year-old local resident previously convicted of murder. According to the source, the man left the colony to fight in the Northern Military District and was captured. 
«According to the investigation, on April 5, 2024, Private Bykov, being a contract serviceman, in order to evade military service during the mobilization period, failed to appear for duty, that is, deserted. On June 18, 2024, being aware, based on her appearance, of the age of the minor, using physical violence… took her to a deserted place and attempted to rape her,» the report says.
It is noted that due to the girl's resistance, Bykov was unable to complete his plan — and killed the schoolgirl to cover up the crime. 
«The Tomsk Garrison Military Court granted the request of the investigator for especially important cases to select a preventive measure in the form of detention in relation to the military man private Andrei Viktorovich Bykov,» the court said in a statement.
He is accused of murder (clause “c, j”, part 2 of article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and is also suspected of attempted rape (part 3 of article 30, clause “b” of part 4 of art. 131 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and desertion (Part 3 of Article 338 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).