Mobilization in Russia for April 22-24, 2025 CIT Volunteer Summary
Authorities and Legislation
Russia’s Ministry of Defense has proposed extending the federal sign-up bonus of 400,000 rubles [$4,830], currently reserved for those who enlist to fight in Ukraine, to military personnel taking part in the "counter-terrorism operation" in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions after Aug. 9, 2024.
Vladimir Koshelev, a member of the State Duma [lower house of Russia’s Federal Assembly] of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia [right-wing populist and ultranationalist political party], introduced a bill that would allow authorities to seize money that "foreign agents" earn in Russia [e.g., from public appearances or monetized online content]. Koshelev proposes to use the funds to rebuild infrastructure and spur economic growth in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, as well as to pay for medical rehabilitation of participants of the war and their families. If the bill passes, the measure would apply retroactively from the date a person was designated a "foreign agent."
Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising
IStories, an independent Russian investigative media outlet, reviewed leaked records from Moscow’s Unified Medical Information and Analytical System and concluded that at least 1,500 foreign nationals from 48 countries passed through the city’s recruitment center and signed contracts with the Russian Armed Forces between April 2023 and May 2024. Citizens of Nepal signed the most contracts, totaling 603. Nepalese recruitment dried up after the country’s authorities stopped issuing permits to work in Russia, while relatives of the dead had to travel to Moscow to claim compensation. The roster of foreign contractors also includes recruits from the United States, the European Union, the Middle East and Africa.
Law enforcement officers conducted a large-scale raid primarily targeting members of the Roma community in the village of Dyagilevo near the city of Ryazan. Men, including the elderly, were taken to the police station for fingerprinting and DNA sample collection. The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that during the operation, 10 summonses for military registration were also issued.
Another raid happened at the Kometa fitness club in southern Moscow, during which law enforcement selectively distributed draft notices. One more raid, as reported by the Idite Lesom [Flee through the woods/Get lost you all] Telegram channel, was carried out at the Festival shopping center in the southwest of the city. According to a witness, police caught five conscription age men and loaded them into a police van.
Mobilized Soldiers, Contract Soldiers and Conscripts
The Vyorstka media outlet analyzed data from the Ukrainian Hochu Nayti [I Want to Find] project, which receives inquiries from relatives of Russian soldiers. According to the database, more than 58,000 Russian soldiers may be missing in action in the war with Ukraine. Since the beginning of 2024, the project has received more than 84,000 requests to search for missing military personnel, and by April 2025, they had processed the names of at least 58,041 of them. Most frequently, soldiers went missing in the Pokrovsk and Bakhmut districts of the Donetsk region of Ukraine and in Russia's Kursk region. The highest number of missing (1,686 people) occurred during the period from Aug. 5-11, 2024, coinciding with the beginning of fighting in the Kursk region. Most commonly (almost 2,000 soldiers), those missing in action served in the 15th Motorized Rifle Brigade. More than 1,000 applications each were received from relatives of servicemen from the 132nd and 9th Brigades. Almost all of them came between July and November 2024. Among the missing, only 1.5% are officers, while military personnel with non-officer ranks make up more than 61%, and in more than a third of cases, the ranks of those missing in action are not specified by their relatives.
Ivan Demidkin, a partially blind soldier from the Kemerovo region who had been held in a so-called "basement," is now being sent to the frontlines despite suffering from a concussion and multiple fractures. According to his mother, Demidkin was previously detained against his will at a commandant’s office in the "LPR" and later transferred to an illegal prison for refuseniks in the village of Zaitseve. After multiple concussions, he nearly lost his eyesight entirely. Following medical treatment, Demidkin returned home to Kuzbass, where he was assaulted with an iron rod, resulting in additional fractures. Despite his injuries, he prepared to return to his unit, but was detained by police at the train station and accused of going AWOL. He was held in custody for several days before being transferred to a military unit in Yurga. The strain on his injured leg and arm caused his stitches to reopen. Nevertheless, a certain Captain Romashev reportedly sent Demidkin to Novosibirsk, from where he now faces redeployment to the frontlines, according to his mother.
Vadim Tsygankov, a 36-year-old soldier from Orsk, was also sent back to the frontline despite being on legitimate medical leave. Tsygankov was mobilized in the fall of 2022 and sustained a serious injury just a few months later. After receiving treatment, he was declared “fit for limited duty” and assigned to outpatient rehabilitation. While continuing his recovery at home, Tsygankov was unexpectedly declared wanted in early 2025 on charges of going AWOL. On April 2, 2025, he was summoned to a local police station "to provide a statement," but was immediately detained by military police outside the building and transferred to a military unit, from which he was once again deployed to the frontline. According to his family, Tsygankov was redeployed in violation of his medical condition and despite having a doctor’s certificate. They also say that neither he nor his relatives have received the compensation owed by the Ministry of Defense for his combat injuries.
Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents
A court in Krasnoyarsk sentenced 26-year-old ex-convict Vitaly Volkov to nine years in a maximum security penal colony for the murder of 25-year-old Anton Yakimenko, which took place on New Year’s Eve. According to media reports, the conflict began when Yakimenko attempted to protect two teenagers whom Volkov allegedly tried to coerce into sex. These circumstances were not reflected in the official version presented by the investigation or the court. Following his first conviction, Volkov was released by enlisting with the Wagner Group in 2023. After fighting in the war, he returned to Krasnoyarsk.
Court in Krasnodar sentenced Sergey Klimenko, a resident of Donetsk to seven and a half years in a maximum security penal colony for murder. According to the prosecution, on Nov. 16, 2024, in Krasnodar, where Klimenko arrived from the territory of the "DPR" to enlist with the Ministry of Defense, he became involved in a quarrel with the victim while drinking together. During the ensuing fight, Klimenko stabbed his drinking companion. He never made it to the combat zone.
The Pepel [Ashes] Telegram channel reported the looting of the Malinovka recreation center in the town of Novaya Tavolzhanka, Belgorod region, by Russian soldiers. In May 2023, the village was taken over without authorization by fighters from the Wagner Group, followed by at least two more groups of military personnel who remained there until February 2025. They left behind broken windows and doors, damaged furniture and ransacked storage facilities. Remaining intact furniture, household appliances and tools were taken from the premises—a total of 37 types of stolen items in various quantities. The owners filed complaints with the investigating authorities on Feb. 10, but the results of the investigation remain unknown.
A military court in Tambov has sentenced the former commander of the 58th Army, General Ivan Popov, to five years in a penal colony on charges of large-scale fraud and official forgery. He was also stripped of his rank of major general. Popov did not plead guilty. Previously, he had requested to be sent to the frontline before the verdict was issued, but the court rejected the motion. After the sentencing, the court again denied Popov’s request to be deployed to the frontline. According to his lawyer, Sergey Buynovsky, Popov was refused deployment because "no positions were found."
A court in Mirny has sentenced contract soldier Dmitry Kh. to five and a half years in a penal colony for going AWOL. According to testimony from the serviceman, who had been serving since 2019, in 2024 his relationships with fellow soldiers deteriorated, and after receiving death threats, he decided to leave his unit. The soldier lived with a female acquaintance for six months before being apprehended by military police. The court did not consider the information provided by the serviceman as valid grounds for his absence.
The Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan has granted the Russian prosecutor's request for extradition of soldier Sotim Savlatov, who was wanted for going AWOL. Savlatov was detained in Azerbaijan in January 2025 and remained under arrest until his extradition. According to Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet], Savlatov is 27 years old, born in Tajikistan but holds Russian citizenship. The Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a warrant for his arrest no later than October 2023. Azerbaijan has become the third country from which Russia has managed to return a fleeing soldier. Previously, such returns (effectively abductions) occurred from Kazakhstan and Armenia. However, this time Russian authorities have for the first time utilized the Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance, which includes eight former Soviet republics as signatories. Human rights advocates interviewed by the Agentstvo [Agency] independent media outlet believe this creates a threat of extradition for all Russians in Azerbaijan who face persecution by Russian authorities.
In Moscow, authorities have detained a 25-year-old local resident who, according to law enforcement, attempted to set fire to the Federal Security Service (FSB) building on Lubyanka Street on April 23. The fire extinguished itself within minutes. The man has already confessed, explaining that he was pushed to commit arson by unknown individuals who threatened him with criminal charges for allegedly financing the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The detainee now faces criminal charges for vandalism.
The Southern District Military Court sentenced 22-year-old Yevgeny Ivanov to 13 years in prison on charges of attempting a terrorist attack, manufacturing explosive substances, and participating in a terrorist organization. Ivanov was detained in the early hours of Aug. 14, 2023, near the administration building of the town of Azov in the Rostov region, which he allegedly planned to set on fire. According to Ivanov’s father, his son had accomplices. The father also stated that after the detention, law enforcement found correspondence with Ukrainian clients on the young man’s phone, who promised a reward of approximately 20,000 rubles [$240] for the arson.
The Southern District Military Court convicted three Ukrainian citizens on charges related to a series of bombings in the "DPR." Andriy Harrius was sentenced to 23 years in a maximum security penal colony, while Yury Ivanov and Stanislav Surovtsev each received 24 years. They were found guilty under articles for participation in a terrorist organization, committing a terrorist act, training for terrorist activities, and illegal trafficking of explosives. According to investigators, from 2016 to 2018, the convicted individuals, as members of a "terrorist organization created by a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) employee," underwent training in Ukraine and participated in bombings of infrastructure facilities in Makiivka and Donetsk.
A court in Saint Petersburg has sentenced Magomedgadzhi Rabadanov, a 67-year-old former employee of the military academy, to five years in a penal colony on charges of cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign state. His arrest was reported by the court in January 2024. Law enforcement officers claim that Rabadanov proactively contacted the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and expressed his intention to provide the Ukrainian side with information and to take specific actions that could contribute to the military defeat of the Russian Federation. Rabadanov has denied the charges, claiming that FSB agents set him up by finding a person with a similar appearance and voice to commit the crime in his place.
The FSB has reported the elimination of two "individuals from Central Asia" suspected of preparing an attack on a petrochemical facility in the Nizhny Novgorod region. According to the intelligence services, they were planning to attack an unnamed facility using FPV drones. During their detention, they allegedly resisted armed arrest and were neutralized by return fire. The FSB described the deceased as followers of an international terrorist organization ideology, claiming they were preparing the attack under the direction of a Ukrainian handler.
The "Supreme Court of the DPR" sentenced 33-year-old Colombian citizen Miguel Ángel Cárdenas Montilla to nine years in prison under the article on mercenarism. This is the first actual sentence handed down to a Colombian citizen for involvement with the AFU. Montilla signed a contract with the AFU in the spring of 2024. In June, he surrendered while his unit was defending a position in the town of Krasnohorivka. He turned out to be the only survivor out of 10 fellow countrymen. At least three other Colombians are in Russian captivity awaiting trial.
Voronezh activist Grigory Severin has been sent to a pre-trial detention center under a new criminal case. He has been charged under the statute for repeatedly discrediting the Russian army. According to investigators, while in a penal settlement, Severin discouraged other convicts from going to war. In August 2022, Severin was sentenced to two years in a penal settlement for publicly inciting extremism.
Assistance
Yury Zaytsev Head of Mari El [Russia's constituent republic] announced that in 2025, regional authorities will allocate approximately 2 billion rubles [$24.15 million] to support participants of the war with Ukraine and their families. In early December 2024, the State Assembly of Mari El approved a budget for 2025 with a deficit of 3.1 billion rubles [$37.43 million].
In Orenburg, authorities awarded grants of 500,000 rubles [$6,040] each to war participants to start businesses. Among the recipients were two ex-convicts who had fought with the Wagner Group. Aleksandr Morgunov, convicted of car theft, will open an auto repair shop, while Viktor Surikov, previously sentenced for murder, plans to start a sewing production. In total, 25 grants were awarded.
Governor of the Lipetsk region Igor Artamonov has said that a dedicated settlement for large families and participants in the war with Ukraine will be built in the region. The houses will be available for purchase for just 1% of the cadastral value in 3-7 years.
Children and Educational System
A 13-year-old schoolboy from Buryatia [Russia's constituent republic] traveled to the frontline during school break to deliver parcels to soldiers. Before that, the boy together with his parents had made trench candles, packed parcels and written letters to the front. Meanwhile, in Ufa, children of participants in the war with Ukraine were presented with commemorative badges "My Dad is a Hero."
Kaliningrad schools will receive 384 drone kits for assembly and programming worth 35 million rubles [$422,600]. Meanwhile, in a school in the Altai region [Russia’s federal subject], a "lesson of courage" was held for students in grades 8-10 to honor Dmitry Mikhalkin, a local man who was killed in the war. Mikhalkin had six prior convictions for theft, robbery, and drug offenses.
Longreads
The Sever.Realii [part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] online media outlet, reports on the practice of recruiting young people with chronic illnesses or medical exemptions into the military.
In Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region, at least 600 cases have been opened against those refusing military service.
The Kavkaz.Realii [Caucasus.Realities, part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] media outlet, examines the role of "veterans" of the war in Ukraine from Russia’s southern regions in today’s society.