Mobilization in Russia for December 21–22, CIT volunteer summary

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the "special operation" zone for the second time in a week. The location of his visit has not been disclosed. During his visit, Shoigu inspected units of the Russian Armed Forces deployed in the combat zone. As reported by the Ministry of Defense, he inspected the temporary deployment points of military units, firing positions, conditions of accommodation and heating, as well as dining facilities. Shoigu paid special attention to the organization of comprehensive support for troops taking direct part in the "special operation". On the front line, he talked with servicemen and thanked them for the exemplary performance of their combat mission. The Agenstvo [Agency] media outlet found out that Shoigu was accompanied by General Mikhail Ugolyov, who reportedly is the chief of staff of the 1st Army Corps (so-called People's Militia of the DPR) and Deputy Minister of Defense Timur Ivanov, known from a recent anti-corruption investigation by Navalny's team.

Women health workers continue to be issued deferments from the draft as part of mobilization, which, according to the president, has been completed. The Dozor v Volgograde [Watch in Volgograd] Telegram channel found another proof of the impending "second wave" of mobilization. Journalists obtained a list of employees of one of the departments of the Medical University of Volgograd, subject to deferment. Right now, the university is negotiating with a local military commissariat [enlistment office] about issuing deferment papers.

An employee of a plant in Ostrov, Pskov Region, was mobilized two days before the opportunity to get a deferral. He was mobilized on September 25, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade entered his plant into the register of organizations of the military-industrial complex two days later, on September 27. Now his wife is asking the governor to help grant her husband a deferral and demobilize him.

The Russian Ministry of Defense publishes footage of combat training for the mobilized and volunteer fighters at a training ground in the rear area of the "special military operation" (Western Military District).

A commander called the wife of a man mobilized from Tyumen «a worthless woman» because she demanded to pay her husband's salary. The woman was left with two small children after her husband was mobilized on October 15. Since that time, she received only a payment from the governor of the Tyumen Region, Alexander Moor, which she used to buy everything necessary for her mobilized husband. She asked the mayor of Tyumen, who is responsible for the mobilized people in the Siberia unit, about the delay in her husband's salary. He replied that he considered her a "worthless woman" because she "did not provide a good rear".

The wife of a draftee from Ufa recounted her “quest” to receive support she was entitled to in spite of the plea by the head of Bashkiria “to spare the families of the mobilized soldiers unnecessary running around to submit supporting documentation.”

While families of the mobilized soldiers in the Kemerovo region complain that they are not getting any help with snow removal, the region’s governor Sergey Tsivilyov boasts of good times had by draftees’ children who attended the ice show by Tatiana Navka.

Children of the “special military operation” participants will be able to skate for free in Moscow parks. Meanwhile, the letters Z, V, and O at the Gorky Park in Moscow have been moved from their previous positions. Probably, this is in response to the wave of jokes and negative social network comments the letters generated.

Russians have started making “With loVe and Zeal”-branded dry borscht [sour soup typical for Ukrainian (and Russian) cuisine] for soldiers fighting in Ukraine. A “women’s council” in the Amur region initiated the movement. In the Gulkevichsky district of Krasnodar region, volunteers are preparing other dry soup varieties in addition as well.

Dmitry Medvedev [Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation] blacklisted journalist Sergey Yezhov in Twitter for pointing out that in case the upper age limit for military draft is extended to 30 years, there is a strong possibility for Medvedev’s son Ilya to end up in the Russian armed forces. As already reported, Sergei Shoigu announced the proposal to move the draft age range from 18-27 years to 21-30 years. Military lawyers and demographic analysts spoke to The Vazhnye Istorii [Important Stories] Telegram channel and explained the reasons why the limits of the draft age range are being shifted in Russia — one of them is Russia’s demographic crisis.

Head of the village Polovinki in Khanty-Mansi autonomous region Aleksandr Starzhinskiy appealed to his fellow citizens to chip in to buy a drone for his brother who is going to fight in the war. He wrote that 860,000 roubles were needed for a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera, however, over 24 hours the village residents only managed to scrape up 50,000.

A remembrance event in honor of Russian troops killed in the war in Ukraine was held in one of the schools in the Altai region. Photos of men who died in the war printed on A4 sheets were put on the wall, a table decorated with carnations was set up and schoolchildren holding toy machine guns were lined up in a “guard of honor”.