Mobilization in Russia for Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2024 CIT Volunteer Summary

Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising

According to the tally by the Zebra TV Telegram channel, the number of people who signed military contracts in the Vladimir region decreased by a quarter in August, with 157 recruits heading to war—50 fewer than in July. August 2024 marked the fifth-lowest recruitment month for the region. Journalists suggest that the decline may be linked to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin's introduction of a 1.9 million ruble [$20,800] sign-up bonus for concluding contracts with the Ministry of Defense in the capital at the end of July. It is likely that some recruits from the Vladimir region opted to enlist in Moscow instead. Notably, as reported by the Vyorstka media outlet, the number of those willing to sign contracts in Moscow doubled at the beginning of August.

Military contract service advertisements are now appearing on the entrance doors of Moscow liquor stores. Previously, ads and "information booths" promoting contract enlistment had already been placed in the city's metro stations.

Foreign nationals applying for a residence permit in Russia are being offered to sign contracts with the MoD. On Aug. 27, Kanon Mammadov visited the Lipetsk branch of the Migration Center to apply for a residence permit, as his wife and three children are Russian citizens. However, a staff member refused to process his application, citing management's orders that foreigners must first sign a contract with the MoD before submitting their residence permit application.

In the Rostov region, the Novocherkassk Higher Military Command School of Communications will be reinstated. The corresponding order has been approved by the Russian Government. The first intake of students is scheduled for 2026, with an anticipated annual graduation of over 1,100 cadets. Recently, the reestablished Higher Artillery Command School opened in Saratov, and it will provide training for 3,000 cadets annually.

Mobilized Soldiers, Volunteer Fighters and Contract Soldiers

The list of mobilized soldiers killed in the war has been updated to include Nazir Sadykov and Filyus Lukmanov from Russia's constituent Republic of Bashkortostan, Eduard Krylov from the Vladimir region and Sergey Belousov from the Irkutsk region.

Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents

In the Perm region [Russia’s federal subject], police officers have detained Artyom Buchin, a war participant who was wanted for the murder of his 27-year-old girlfriend and her daughter. According to the Baza Telegram channel, the crime took place on the morning of Aug. 31 near the house of Buchin's father. During interrogation by the military police, Buchin stated that the reason for the murder of his girlfriend was jealousy and fear that she had been unfaithful while he was fighting in Ukraine. However, Telegram channels associated with the Wagner Group have refuted claims of Buchin's affiliation with the mercenaries, stating that by the time Buchin signed his contract in August 2023, recruitment from penal colonies was exclusively handled by the Russian MoD.

In the city of Stary Oskol, Belgorod region, a participant in the war with Ukraine threatened a group of vacationers with a knife at a resort after they ignored his demand to turn off a song by Verka Serduchka [a drag persona of Ukrainian comedian and singer Andriy Danylko]. Reportedly, the police detained the man and his wife, while no complaints were filed against the vacationers.

Over the past few months, a court in the city of Stavropol has dismissed nine criminal cases related to bribery involving contract soldiers and mobilized men. These servicemen allegedly paid bribes to doctors at a local military hospital to "purchase" confirmation of medical diagnoses and obtain temporary exemptions from service.

Sergey Trigilev, the head of the draft office in Moscow's Preobrazhensky district, along with his subordinate Igor Titovets, has been charged in connection with three instances of bribery. According to case files, Trigilev and Titovets, in collaboration with a general practitioner named Aksyonova, received bribes in exchange for confirming medical conditions that would exempt three men from statutory military service. Aksyonova provided testimony against the military officials, leading to the arrest of Trigilev and Titovets in early July.

Assistance

In Omsk, volunteers have transformed a bus from the local children’s camp Orlyonok into a mobile bathhouse, which will soon be sent to the frontline.

Children

The Novaya-Europe: Stories Telegram channel [part of the Novaya Gazeta Europe independent Russian media outlet] reported on how schools in border regions are preparing for Sept. 1, Knowledge Day in Russia, and gathered parent opinions on the matter. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, stated that all schools within a 20-kilometer [12 mi] zone will operate remotely, while the rest will offer in-person and hybrid formats. Students from "villages with a difficult tactical situation" will be sent by train to schools in safer Russian regions. Some schools in the Kursk region have also switched to remote learning. The same Telegram channel published a video report on how schools are promoting the idea that "being a soldier is cool," imposing patriotism, forcing students to assemble parcels for the frontline and weave camouflage nets.

On Monday, Sept. 2, the new school year began in Russian schools. As in the past two years, students will be taught the importance of patriotism, traditional values and unconditional support for Russia in any situation. Vyorstka reports on what students and their parents can reasonably expect from the new school year, while the NeNorma project discusses the main changes in Russian education starting Sept. 1.

In Arkhangelsk, during the celebration of Knowledge Day near the Northern (Arctic) Federal University, children were taught to assemble assault rifles.

In Crimea, mandatory military training is being introduced for university students. As part of the new module "Fundamentals of Military Training," participants in the "special military operation" and combat veterans will teach students the basics of general military regulations, provide first aid and navigate terrain without a map.

In Syktyvkar, Vitaly Shkoropada, former Wagner Group mercenary and veteran of the war with Ukraine has become the director of an Olympic Reserve School. In addition to children, participants in the invasion of Ukraine train for free at this school. Shkoropada, who was injured and subsequently trained at the Skolkovo State Management School, has since begun promoting participation in the war.

In the Irkutsk region, the Zarnitsa and Voroshilov Shooter projects won the competition for funding at the Baikal Forum, where youth business projects used to prevail. Now, with money from the regional budget, 200 teenagers aged 14 to 18 will be trained to shoot and handle military equipment. Additionally, participants in the "special military operation" and Russian servicemen will be involved in the military-patriotic game Zarnitsa.

Longreads

Sergey Chernyshev, a historian and former head of the Novocollege private school in Novosibirsk, spoke about how the Russian education system has degraded over the years of war in an interview with the Sibir.Realii [part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] online media outlet. Meanwhile, Vyorstka has prepared a piece on the causes of PTSD and whether it can be managed without treatment.