Mobilization in Russia for Aug. 27-29, 2024 CIT Volunteer Summary
Authorities and Legislation
Authorities of the Kursk region have restricted entry to Kurchatov, the third largest town in the region, due to combat operations. Aleksey Smirnov, acting Governor of the Kursk region, reports that residents with registration can freely enter the city. Those who work in Kurchatov but are not registered there can obtain a pass. Vyacheslav Gladkov [governor of the Belgorod region] reported on the "relocation" of residents of the villages of Poroz, Dronovka, Stary Khutor, and the hamlet of Pavlovka. He also added that authorities have closed entry to the village of Vyazovoye.
The Central Election Commission intends to limit access to video surveillance during elections in the Bryansk region. Measures will be introduced to "ensure the security of voting."
Since the beginning of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's offensive in the Kursk region, 211 people, including 11 children, have sought medical help, and 68 civilians remain in hospitals, the regional operational headquarters reported. The authorities do not report on the killed — the acting governor of the Kursk region has stopped reporting on casualties since the start of the AFU attack. On Aug. 20, medical services confirmed the death of 17 people during the offensive.
Senator Andrey Klishas, as well as deputies Pavel Krasheninnikov and Andrey Kartapolov, have introduced a bill to the State Duma [lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia], according to which it will be possible to sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense even during legal proceedings. Previously, a similar bill was introduced to the State Duma by the Supreme Court.
Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising
In the Arkhangelsk region, the sign-up bonus for concluding a contract with the Ministry of Defense has been increased from 100,000 rubles [$1,090] to 400,000 rubles [$4,370]. In total, when signing a contract in the region, one can now receive up to 800,000 rubles [$8,740].
Starting Aug. 1, a city bonus of 200,000 rubles [$2,190] was introduced in Lipetsk for those signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense. Thus, recruited volunteer fighters in Lipetsk will receive a total of 1,200,000 rubles [$13,100] each.
In the Perm district of the Perm region [Russia’s federal subject], an additional 100,000 rubles [$1,090] will be paid from the district reserve fund upon signing a contract.
In the Moscow metro, "information booths" aimed at promoting contract military service have appeared. According to the Sota media outlet, they have been deployed at the Slavyansky Bulvar metro station and several others. Additionally, Moscow police officers have been promised a bonus of up to 50,000 rubles [$550] for each individual they "convince" to sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense. However, there have been no known cases of this bonus being awarded.
In the city of Yekaterinburg, police officers are distributing leaflets to detainees, informing them of the possibility of avoiding punishment if they sign a contract to participate in the war. Potential recruits are being promised sign-up bonuses of 900,000 rubles [$9,830]: 400,000 rubles [$4,370] from the national budget and an additional 500,000 rubles [$5,460] from the regional budget. Additionally, the administration of Yekaterinburg's Oktyabrsky District is gathering information on utility debtors, focusing specifically on men aged 18 to 55, "for explanatory work" on the terms of signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense.
An advertisement for contract military service with the headline "Real Men's Work" has appeared on waste disposal bills in the town of Vyksa, Nizhny Novgorod region. Those interested in going to war are being offered a sign-up bonus of 1.2 million rubles [$13,100].
During a raid targeting migrants on Aug. 29 at the Ozon distribution center in Yekaterinburg, law enforcement officers took 25 men who had obtained Russian citizenship but had not registered for military service to the draft office.
Indian Member of Parliament Vikramjit Singh Sahney said that more than 90 Indian residents were tricked into fighting in Ukraine on the side of Russia, at least eight of them had been killed. Of the 83 survivors, 13 have left the Russian Army. In July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Putin, who promised to release Indian citizens, but the situation of the fighting Indians was not affected.
In Belgorod, a battalion will be established to fight drones, and contract soldiers will serve in it. The mayor of the city, Valentin Demidov, called for men from 18 to 60 years old to join the battalion, or up to 65 years old by agreement with the units. Recently, the authorities of the Kursk region announced the recruitment of contract soldiers up to the age of 65 for the defense of the region. They will create the Bars-Kursk volunteer unit.
Vasily Smolin, former head of the Bichursky district of Buryatia [constituent republic of Russia] accused of murder signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense and left for the war from a pre-trial detention center. Smolin was arrested in December 2023 and charged with causing serious bodily harm resulting in the death of a person through negligence.Â
A doctor who caused a fatal traffic accident near Orenburgleft for the war to avoid punishment. In April this year, while driving a car under influence, the woman crashed into a Lada Kalina driving in the same direction. The accident resulted in the death of a 43-year-old female passenger who was sitting in the back seat of the Kalina. Due to the suspect's departure for the war, the preliminary investigation of the criminal case has been suspended.
Idite Lesom! [Flee through the woods/Get lost you all] project has shared the instructions for preparing for the launch of the Unified Military Register—the register of Russians subject to military service [digital system to identify citizens subject to military service and serve draft notices] and the Draft Registry.
Mobilized Soldiers, Volunteer Fighters and Contract Soldiers
The list of mobilized soldiers killed in the war has been updated to include Anatoly Malikov from the Altai region [Russia’s federal subject], Denis Ostrikov from the Irkutsk region, Denis Polyubezyev from Moscow and Yevgeny Rudzyevich from the Tyumen region.
The governor of the Murmansk region, Andrey Chibis, has deleted mentions of local residents killed in the war from his social media. Meanwhile, the Murmansk city cemetery contains 165 graves of participants in the invasion of Ukraine.
The mother of a conscript has reported to the Astra Telegram channel that her son, currently serving in the 290th Missile Regiment in Russia’s constituent Republic of Mari El, was forced to sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense. The command has already compiled lists of conscripts for deployment to the Kursk region. Previously, journalist Aleksey Mashkevich reported that conscripts from the 98th Guards Airborne Division in Ivanovo are also being transferred for service in the Kursk region. When questioned about the reports that conscripts are being sent to the Kursk region and forced to sign contracts with the MoD, the Russian President’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, calling this information a "misrepresentation of reality."
Maksim Avramenko, a 21-year-old conscript captured in the Kursk region and returned to Russia as part of the latest exchange with Ukraine, has not been in contact with his family, as reported by his mother to Astra.
Mobilized soldiers from the Pskov region, Vasily Grigoryev and Dmitry Davydov, who had returned from Ukrainian captivity, were sent back to the war to dig trenches. They were exchanged on Jan. 31. After a month of rehabilitation, they were returned to Shebekino, and in May, they were redeployed to the town of Vovchansk, where they were tasked with evacuating the wounded and dead. On Aug. 26, Grigoryev and Davydov fled their unit and made their way to Moscow, where they sought legal assistance. They now plan to turn themselves in to the Military Prosecutor's Office with their lawyer and file a complaint against the military command for illegally sending them back to the frontline. The lawyer believes that sending soldiers who have returned from captivity back to war violates both Russian laws and international law.
A mobilized soldier with a severe concussion is being sent back to forward positions. The man was evacuated to a hospital in Tavriysk without being issued initial medical documents. He was then transferred to Sevastopol, where he was placed in a psychiatric department, allegedly for a nervous disorder, and treated with psychotropic drugs. The mobilized soldier's eyesight is deteriorating due to his injury. Now, he is being sent back to the frontline.
The wife of a contract soldier from the Moscow region claims she has been unable to locate her husband for a month and a half. The man signed a contract in August 2023, was wounded in November, and subsequently underwent treatment. In June of this year, he was sent to the Kharkiv front, having been previously promised a rear-echelon assignment. On July 10, the wife received a voice message from the battalion commander explaining that the soldier had been found but could not make contact due to attacks. Later, the explanations changed repeatedly: fellow soldiers told the woman that the man had stepped on a mine and lost three toes. The unit commander, in turn, said that the soldier has been listed as missing in action since July 10. According to the latest version, on July 10, the man was getting into an evacuation vehicle when it was hit by a projectile, and they were unable to retrieve bodies from that area.
Servicemembers from several regiments of the 47th Guards Tank Division are complaining that they are being paid significantly less than promised. A soldier who signed a contract from a penal colony reported that instead of the promised 207,000 rubles [$2,260], he receives only 17,380 rubles [$190], and payments for combat missions over several months have not been received. Another soldier stated that he got 37,000 rubles [$400] – a private's salary, while his contract specified over 200,000 rubles [$2,190]. By his calculations, from February to May, he should have received about 1 million rubles [$10,900] for combat missions. The soldier believes that commanders are deliberately withholding promised payments until soldiers "survive" on the frontline for six months. Additionally, soldiers who have been wounded multiple times are complaining about being sent back into assault operations without fully recovering.
According to the Voyennye Advokaty [Military Lawyers] Telegram channel, there has been an increase in cases of servicemen assigned to units for refuseniks and those who went AWOL being forcibly sent to the frontline. For instance, in the summer of 2023, Grigory, a mobilized soldier from the Sverdlovsk region, did not return from leave, and in the fall, he was detained for going AWOL. A criminal case was initiated against him, and during the investigation, he was assigned to a military unit in the Sverdlovsk region. On May 16, 2024, the military commandant's office informed Grigory and several dozen other soldiers that they would all be sent to the frontline. Several months later, the defense managed to get an indictment filed against the man and the case sent to court. However, citing a letter from the unit commander stating the impossibility of the mobilized soldier's appearance due to his participation in combat, the court decided that there was no real possibility for the defendant to participate in the court hearing and suspended the proceedings.
In the closed military settlement of Poroshino at the Yelan Training Center of the Ministry of Defense, leaflets have been posted claiming that cases of unauthorized occupation of vacant departmental apartments had been detected in the settlement. Journalists report that many residents of Poroshino are currently involved in the "special military operation."
Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents
A court in Perm has sentenced Grigory Starikov, a former Wagner Group mercenary, to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of three people, as reported by the Vyorstka media outlet. This is believed to be the first known case of a life sentence for a participant in the war in Ukraine who returned to Russia. The court considered Starikov's participation in combat operations, his illnesses, awards, and the "illegality of the victims' behavior" as mitigating factors. Vyorstka found out that Starikov had previously been convicted twice for theft and sabotage of life-support facilities in 2015 and 2018.
A contract soldier from the Krasnoyarsk region has been convicted of kidnapping. Private Boltenko, along with his acquaintance Shumakhin, abducted two individuals in March 2024 due to personal animosity. They were found guilty of kidnapping and sentenced to six and a half years in a maximum security penal colony, respectively.
The Southern District Military Court overturned the verdict of the Rostov Garrison Military Court for contract soldier Ilya Laube, who was sentenced to one and a half years in a penal settlement for the murder of a fellow soldier during the war with Ukraine. The first-instance court ruled that the contract soldier accidentally shot his fellow soldier near a dugout, where his fellow soldiers were located, resulting in the death of a soldier named Buranov. The deceased soldier's family disagreed with this conclusion.
The Ussuriysk Garrison Military Court sentenced Maksim A., a mobilized soldier from Ussuriysk, to two and a half years in a penal colony for failure to execute orders. The soldier began experiencing problems with his leg, but the military medical board deemed him fully fit for military service. When his commander ordered him to return to the frontline, he refused and continued his treatment. A criminal case was initiated against Maksim. Despite a second military medical board categorizing him as fit for military service with minor restriction, the criminal case proceeded as the command insisted on his deployment to the frontline. Ultimately, the court found that Maksim had the actual opportunity to execute the order precisely and on time.
As Astra found out, on Aug. 24, 21-year-old student of the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute Severyan H. was detained in Obninsk, Kaluga region, and held for 15 days on charges of petty hooliganism. It is not known what specific offense the young man committed, but three days later during interrogation he allegedly pleaded guilty to setting fire to two relay cabinets. According to Astra, the arson occurred back in early June of this year between the Shemyakino and Obninskoye railway stations. Two relay cabinets burned out completely. Train traffic was not affected in any way.
In Primorsky region [Russia's federal subject], an engineer was detained for attempting to set fire to a draft office. On the night of Aug. 29, a Vladivostok resident threw two bottles of incendiary mixture into the building, but it didn't start a fire. The detainee claimed that he was a victim of fraudsters.
According to the Zona Solidarnosti [Solidarity zone] Telegram channel, the military court of appeal in Vlasikha near Moscow approved the sentence of musicians and former law enforcement officers Aleksey Nuriev and Roman Nasryev in the case of the arson attack on a military registration office in Bakal, Chelyabinsk region. Each of the men was sentenced to 19 years in a maximum security penal colony.
A court in Saratov has sentenced 21-year-old Denis Kim to 11 years in a maximum security penal colony. Kim was convicted of committing a terrorist attack, carried out by a group, for setting fire to the "Special Military Operation Museum." Kim claimed that he was a victim of scammers.
The Vladimir Regional Court imposed compulsory medical measures on a local resident accused of sabotage and "confidential" cooperation with a foreign state. The proceedings were conducted behind closed doors, with no details of the case or the identity of the defendant being disclosed.
In the Kursk region, authorities have detained a "group of saboteurs" who were reportedly planning to blow up an oil storage facility. No further details have been provided.
The Stavropol Regional Court has sentenced Ilya Ukrainsky, a resident of Irkutsk, to six years in a maximum security penal colony. Ukrainsky was accused of attempting to engage in confidential cooperation with a foreign state. A source familiar with the case stated that the 23-year-old was detained when he arrived in Mineralnye Vody from Yerevan. Law enforcement officers reportedly found six 100-euro bills on him, which they claim were intended for purchasing uniforms for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Second Western District Military Court sentenced Artyom Lozovoy to 18 years in a maximum security penal colony on charges of treason in the form of espionage, preparing a terrorist attack, and illegal trafficking of explosives.
The "Supreme Court" of annexed Crimea sentenced a 26-year-old resident of the Tomsk region to 13 years and two months in a maximum security penal colony for high treason. He was allegedly recruited by foreign intelligence services in a CIS country and, in March and April 2023, provided them with information about "strategic sites and defensive positions in Crimea."
Sergey Sviridov, a resident of the Altai region, was sentenced to 18 years in a penal colony on charges related to preparing a terrorist attack on a Ministry of Defense facility. According to the case file, in addition to the charge of confidential cooperation, the 44-year-old Sviridov was also charged with preparing a terrorist attack, participating in the activities of a terrorist organization, and undergoing training to carry out terrorist activities. His arrest was reported in late January 2024. According to the Federal Security Service (FSB), Sviridov "established contact with a terrorist paramilitary organization" and also made Molotov cocktails. It was reported that he was detained while attempting a terrorist attack on a Ministry of Defense facility in Barnaul. His lawyer declined to disclose details of the case.
Former Belgorod region administration employee Viktoria Shinkaruk, along with her accomplice Aleksandr Kholodkov, is accused of plotting a terrorist attack under orders from Ukraine. They face charges of conspiring to commit illegal trafficking of explosives, smuggling strategically important goods and resources, participating in a terrorist organization, preparing an act of terror, and illegally manufacturing explosives.
According to the Zona Solidarnosti project, the FSB has charged artist Irina Izmaylova with treason and possession of explosives. These charges could lead to a sentence of up to 25 years in prison. We reported on this case in our previous summary. Izmaylova's lawyer believes that his client's prosecution is linked to her partner's involvement with the "Russian Volunteer Corps."
Musician Andrey Shabanov from Samara, accused of terrorism, has been kept in pre-trial detention despite his serious health condition. Shabanov was arrested in April 2024 for a Facebook post. He is accused of publicly calling for terrorism and making public calls for actions against state security.
The Lefortovo Court in Moscow has arrested the Colombians Alexander Ante and Jose Arona Aranda Medina until Oct. 22 on charges of mercenarism. Earlier, El Tiempo reported that Ante and Medina had fought on the side of the AFU. In mid-summer, they were supposed to return home via Venezuela, but they were detained by the local police there, allegedly because they were wearing the AFU uniforms.
Assistance
Since the beginning of the "special military operation"the Zabaykalsky region [Russia's federal subject] has allocated over 7 billion rubles [$76.49 million] to support its participants and their families. Governor of the Zabaykalsky region Aleksandr Osipov noted that families ofthose involved in the war are also provided with land plots, educational assistance, and help with purchasing firewood. According to him, 60,000 people have received this support.
Governor Sergey Menyaylo reported that 3,580 families of participants in the war with Ukraine are receiving social support in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania [Russia's constituent republic].
Pro-war activist Anna Deryabina organized a fundraiser for body bags for Russian soldiers. This is not the first known fundraiser for body bags.