Mobilization in Russia for April 1-3, 2025 CIT Volunteer Summary
Authorities and Legislation
"Foreign agents" would face dismissal from military service under a draft decree from Putin, the Parliamentary Gazette states. If the amendments to the "Regulation on the Procedure for Military Service" take effect, service members labeled as foreign agents would not only lose their positions but also forfeit the right to wear military uniforms and insignia. The decree would apply the same penalty to military personnel found guilty of alcohol abuse, drug use, intentional crimes or misusing their official positions to serve political parties, as well as to those dismissed for "loss of trust" or expelled from military academies. The amendments would also change the mechanism for discharging troops. Legal experts interviewed by the independent media outlet Agentstvo [Agency] say inclusion in the "foreign agent" register could create a new pathway for leaving military service during mobilization.
The State Duma [lower house of Russia’s Federal Assembly] has passed a bill granting veteran status to military personnel who took part in combat operations in the Kursk region. Amendments to the "On Veterans" law also grant disabled war veteran status to those wounded in action there.
Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising
The Voyennye Advokaty [Military Lawyers] Telegram channel reminds readers who is entitled to draft deferrals from regular conscription: students in schools, colleges and universities;, IT professionals; individuals with health issues; those who have completed military department training; and people who care for relatives requiring constant support. It also notes that a full draft exemption applies to holders of advanced academic degrees; individuals whose relatives died during military training or statutory military service; men with outstanding or unexpunged criminal records; those serving court-imposed sentences; and anyone under active criminal investigation.
Acting Head of the Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the Leningrad Military District Andrey Yefremov stated that the spring conscription campaign in the district will for the first time be conducted using electronic draft notices. According to him, a centralized database of Russian citizens subject to military registration will be used for distributing these notices. At the same time, draft notices will continue to be sent in paper form—by registered mail or delivered in person. Earlier, the Deputy Head of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff had announced the use of the electronic register. However, the military commissar of the Rostov region stated that electronic draft notices will not be issued during the spring conscription campaign in the region.
Ahead of the spring conscription campaign, the human rights organization Shkola Prizyvnika [Conscript School] released a report on violations recorded during the fall 2024 conscription campaign in Moscow. During that period, the Shkola Prizyvnika team received 77 reports of attempted forced conscription. In 26 cases, conscripts were released after being detained and checked; 25 people were sent to the army; 18 were taken to a military collection point or to the Unified Military Recruitment Center, after which they were most likely sent to the army; in another eight cases, attempts to detain conscripts were unsuccessful as they did not open their doors. The past year "was one of the most difficult in the entire history of monitoring, both for conscripts and for human rights defenders," Shkola Prizyvnika stated. More details of the organization's observations are presented in the report, with the key findings summarized by Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet] and Vazhnyye Istorii [IStories, independent Russian investigative media outlet].
In Moscow, law enforcement officers carried out a second raid in a week at a Spirit Fitness gym. On the evening of April 1, OMON riot police entered the Spirit Fitness location on Ryazansky Prospekt. According to the Baza Telegram channel, the raid was aimed at identifying migrants from Central Asia. During the roundup, the officers released the women but "forced all the men face down on the floor." They were checked for documents confirming legal residency in Russia and military service status. Earlier, on March 30, OMON conducted a similar raid at another Spirit Fitness location in the MariEl shopping center. The Sever.Realii [part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] online media outlet published a detailed account of how the raids unfolded. Journalists also spoke with human rights advocates, who reported that over the past month, similar mass roundups have taken place in four major cities: Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Irkutsk and Yekaterinburg.
Aleksandr Gliskov, opposition deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Krasnoyarsk region, who was sentenced to 10 years in a maximum security penal colony in a bribery case, will be sent to the frontline. It was previously reported that he submitted a request to participate in the war during a court hearing on his appeal.
Mobilized Soldiers, Contract Soldiers and Conscripts
Another conscript, Ignat Vasilkin from the Vladimir region, has been confirmed killed in the war. The young man, who served as a paratrooper, was due to be discharged in October 2024. However, in the fall, he went missing in the Kursk region, where he had been sent to guard the border. It was recently confirmed that Vasilkin was killed.
The relatives of 34 missing soldiers from 25th Motorized Rifle Brigade have recorded an appeal to Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Minister of Defense Andrey Belousov. In their message, they urge the authorities to investigate the actions of the brigade’s commanders Aleksey Xenofontov and Andrey Saratyuk. The women claim that the brigade has provided no details about the disappearance of their loved ones, failed to pay soldiers' salaries and ignored their medical needs. A video has also surfaced, allegedly showing sick soldiers from the 25th Brigade being taken on combat missions by officers. In addition, relatives of soldiers from the 7th Motorized Rifle Brigade have submitted a collective letter to Putin, demanding an inquiry into the mass disappearances of soldiers who have been officially listed as missing in action for months. According to family members, most of these soldiers went missing in November 2024 after fighting near the villages of Bilohorivka, Zolotarivka and Spirne. Since then, there has been no contact with them, and military leadership has provided no information about their fate. Families also report that the relatives of killed and wounded soldiers have not received the financial compensation they are entitled to, while injured soldiers have not been given adequate medical care. Upon arrival at their unit, mobilized soldiers had their phones, bank cards and identification documents confiscated. Contracts were signed without their knowledge, and they were denied leave for two years.
Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents
Aleksandr Sergeyev, a 34-year-old Russian soldier, who had previously been convicted of theft, robbery, murder and rape, returned from the war and is accused of raping and killing a 13-year-old girl in the Tver region. The seventh-grade student, Violetta S., went missing on March 21, 2025, and on March 29, authorities discovered her body. While officials confirmed the suspect’s arrest, they did not initially disclose his identity or his participation in the war. On March 30, a court ordered Sergeyev’s detention on charges of rape, sexual violence and the murder of a minor.
Former Wagner Group mercenary, 31-year-old Maksim Kaskov, attacked police officers in the Tver region, according to the Astra Telegram channel. Kaskov was detained on April 1 in the town of Bely after reportedly getting drunk and causing a public disturbance, prompting local residents to call the police. When officers arrived, he attempted to attack them with a piece of glass, saying, "Now I’ll show you how I slit Ukrainians' throats." He also tried to harm himself with the glass but was ultimately subdued and arrested.
The Southern District Military Court has sentenced two military officers for murder, torture and the desecration of the bodies of seven fellow soldiers. Colonel Yevgeny Malyshko was sentenced to 20 years in a maximum security penal colony and stripped of his military rank and awards. Senior Sergeant Roman Timonin received an 18-year sentence in a maximum security penal colony and was also stripped of his rank and honors. A third defendant, Warrant Officer Yevgeny Chukanov, is still on trial. All three are accused of murdering multiple individuals in a helpless state with extreme cruelty, acting as a group to cover up another crime, and engaging in torture. Additionally, Timonin and Malyshko were charged with desecrating the bodies of the deceased, while Malyshko also faces charges of exceeding authority through violence and the use of weapons, resulting in severe consequences. The case stems from incidents that occurred in the summer of 2023 within Russia’s 6th Motorized Rifle Division. According to an investigation by the Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne, division commander Marat Ospanov had ordered the punishment of soldiers who "violated discipline, refused to follow orders and committed other infractions." These soldiers had previously recorded a video complaining about poor service conditions and being used as "cannon fodder." According to investigators, the soldiers were repeatedly beaten and tortured. Eventually, the command decided to execute them and dispose of their bodies to cover up the illegal detentions and torture. Seven soldiers were taken from the basement where they were being held and transported to the village of Bakhmutske in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. There, they were led into the basement of an abandoned house, where Timonin, Chukanov and Major Boriskin threw grenades inside. Any survivors were then shot, and their bodies were burned along with the vehicle used for transport.
A contract soldier has been sentenced to five and a half years in a penal colony for going AWOL. The man signed a contract with the MoD at the end of June 2023, and in early November was sent on a one-day assignment to a neighboring unit. However, he did not return from the assignment and instead went home, where he was detained by military police a year later.
Aleksey Yakovlev, a 24-year-old former Wagner Group mercenary from the Saratov region, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for sabotage, while his accomplice, Andrey Butuzov, received a 12-year sentence. In March 2024, Yakovlev, seeking additional income, contacted an unidentified person through an acquaintance. This person offered him 15,000 rubles [$180] to set fire to railway relay cabinets. Yakovlev accepted the offer and brought his friend Andrey Butuzov with him. Together, they damaged a relay cabinet on the railway section between Trofimovsky-2 and Zorinsky stations. Between 2015 and 2023, Yakovlev had five prior convictions for theft and carjacking and was recruited for the war from a penal colony.
In Russia's constituent Republic of Khakassia, two teenagers detained for setting fire to the office of the pro-government All-Russia People's Front movement in Abakan have been placed under house arrest. They have been charged with the intentional destruction of someone else's property.
A court in Russia's Stavropol region has sentenced 41-year-old Ruslan Bely to 20 years in prison on charges of treason, participation in a terrorist organization, preparing an act of terror and illegal possession of explosives. According to investigators, while in Yessentuki, Bely established contact with a member of the Freedom of Russia Legion and joined its ranks. In carrying out his assignment, he "conducted reconnaissance," took photos and videos, and geolocated gas distribution network facilities in Yessentuki. Bely then acquired components for making an explosive device but was detained in July 2023.
In the Vladimir region, a 42-year-old resident of Murom faces charges of cooperation on a confidential basis with a representative of a foreign state. The Federal Security Service (FSB) claims the man photographed vehicles marked with the letter Z and sent these images to Ukrainian handlers via Telegram. Additionally, the man allegedly possessed narcotics and posted online calls for violent actions against Russian law enforcement and government employees. For these charges, the court has already sentenced him to five years and one month in prison.
Vasily Raskov, a 47-year-old Yekaterinburg resident accused of treason, was found hanged in his home. According to investigators, Raskov was "collecting information about military-strategic sites in the Sverdlovsk region and military-technical data." FSB officers detained him at the Kazakhstan-Russia border as he allegedly attempted to smuggle two specialized radio stations abroad. Raskov spent several months in a pre-trial detention center before being released to house arrest due to a serious medical condition.
The Southern District Military Court sentenced 25-year-old Ukrainian citizen, Serhii Solodskyi, a resident of the occupied part of the Kherson region, to 18 years in a maximum security penal colony on charges of espionage, attempted terrorist attack, terrorism training and illegal trafficking of explosives. According to investigators, Solodskyi made contact with an officer from the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of Ukraine in Oleshky and, from October to December 2023, shared coordinates of Russian military personnel with Ukrainian intelligence to strike them. The charge of attempted terrorist attack was brought against Solodskyi due to a failed attempt to detonate a car bomb targeting the head of the territorial department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Kherson region and military personnel.
The FSB detained a Russian woman in the occupied part of the Kherson region of Ukraine "on suspicion of treason in the form of financing the Armed Forces of Ukraine," reports the TASS [Russian state-owned news agency] media outlet. The detainee's name and other details have not been disclosed.
A 25-year-old resident of Omsk was sentenced to 11 years in a maximum security penal colony for financing terrorist activities. According to investigators, the man intended to participate in the war against Russia on the side of Ukraine. Additionally, he allegedly created a social media account where he called on people to raise money, which he planned to send to Ukraine.
A resident of Biysk, born in 2004, was sentenced to 12 years in a maximum security penal colony for treason. According to investigators, the young man sent money to a terrorist organization to finance the activities of the AFU, aimed at undermining the security of the Russian Federation. The identity of the convicted individual has not been disclosed. The FSB reported the detention in August 2024.
The Volgograd Regional Court sentenced 23-year-old Stanislav Ilchuk to 14 years in a maximum security penal colony for sabotage and treason. According to investigators, from May to June 2024, Ilchuk, "dissatisfied with the political course of the Russian Federation and the special military operation conducted by the Russian Armed Forces," entered into correspondence with a representative of Ukraine’s intelligence services. He received an assignment to set fire to railway equipment for money and recorded the arson on his phone. At the same time, Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence considers him a participant in the invasion and a war criminal.
A court in Kursk found two former local business employees guilty in a case involving the theft of military-purpose items. The convicted individuals are named Aleksandr Vorobyov and Roman Sidorkin. According to investigators, the men stole military-purpose items "for subsequent sale on the territory of a foreign state." Vorobyov was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony, while Sidorkin, considering his prior conviction, received 23 years of imprisonment. In July 2023, he was sentenced to 17 years in prison on charges of treason and preparation for sabotage. Along with him, his wife was also convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Children and Educational System
A "patriots’ corner" has been opened at Belgorod Pedagogical College, featuring memes about Ukraine and denouncing those who advocate for ending the war. The displays label Ukraine as a "terrorist state."
A "Hero’s Desk" was also installed at a school in the Belgorod region to honor a Wagner Group mercenary with multiple criminal convictions. According to a statement from Kosilovo School, its graduate Aleksandr Grigorevsky was killed in the town of Bakhmut on Feb. 7, 2023. A man with the same full name had been sentenced to two years in a penal colony in 2022 for a series of thefts committed under the influence of opioids.
Assistance
Students from technical schools and colleges in Nizhnevartovsk, whose family members are involved in the "special military operation," will be granted free access to public transportation. Meanwhile, in Udmurtia [Russia's constituent republic], families of those taking part in the war with Ukraine will receive firewood.
Longreads
BBC News Russian reported on the practice of Russian courts dropping criminal cases in exchange for donations to support the Russian army.