MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. Russia’s former economic development minister, Aleksey Ulyukayev, sentenced to eight years in a maximum security correctional facility, may be relieved of serving the term for health reasons, a source in the Russian judiciary has told TASS.

"Ulyukayev may be relieved of his term if he proves he suffers ailments that prevent him from being kept in custody or serving a prison term, in accordance with the effective government resolutions," the source said.

One government resolution (No. 3) allows for the release from custody of persons suffering from grave ailments, and another (No. 54) for setting free seriously ill persons sentenced to imprisonment. They do not apply to those who were convicted and placed in custody after the sentence, while the sentence itself has not taken effect yet.