Mobilization in Russia for Dec. 4-7, 2025 CIT Volunteer Summary

Army Recruitment

In Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan, authorities have lowered bonuses for signing contracts with the Ministry of Defense from 1 million to 500,000 rubles [$13,000 to $6,500], even though Governor Radiy Khabirov had extended the higher rate—originally set in June—through the end of the year just one week ago. While officials published the new decree on Dec. 4, it applies retroactively to all contracts signed since Dec. 1, preserving the previous amount only for those who signed by Nov. 30. The order also slashes Ufa's additional municipal bonus for contract soldiers from 600,000 to 100,000 rubles [$7,800 to $1,300], meaning that with the federal component of 400,000 rubles [$5,200], a new recruit will now receive 900,000 rubles [$11,700], or 1 million rubles [$13,000] if recruited from Ufa. Unlike previous decrees effective through the end of the year, the new document expires on Dec. 25, coming as several regions in the Volga Federal District have recently reduced payments to minimum levels.

Officials in Saratov conducted another raid targeting naturalized citizens evading military registration, deploying mobile checkpoints across the city to inspect approximately 500 individuals and issue draft notices to 30.

Recruitment notices for the mobilization reserve have begun appearing in in the entryways of apartment buildings across Moscow. In the Lyublino district, residents found leaflets from the local enlistment office offering citizens up to 55 years old to join the reserve for an annual payment of 185,700 rubles [$2,410].

A 54-year-old resident of the city of Volgodonsk, Lev Tishchenko, ended up at a military training ground after attempting to get a job as a welder in the "DPR." According to his sister, Tishchenko responded to a job posting, after which a woman contacted him and promised about 1.4 million rubles [$18,200]; one of the conditions was signing a "fake contract with the MoD." She also specified that the work would take place far from any combat zones. Then, according to his relatives, people came to him identifying themselves as bailiffs and employees of the enlistment office. On Nov. 16, Tishchenko left for the city of Tver, from where he informed his family that he had been taken to a "distribution center" and would be out of contact for a while. A few days later, the man contacted his relatives again and asked them to transfer money for food to a new account and then disappeared once more—he has not been in contact since Nov. 18. His family emphasizes that he has poor eyesight and heart problems, has never served in the army for these reasons and was not subject to conscription.

Mobilized Soldiers, Contract Soldiers and Conscripts

Based on open sources, Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet] and BBC News Russian, together with volunteers, have verified the names of 153,171 Russian fighters killed in Ukraine, including 16,095 mobilized soldiers. Over the past week, the list has grown by 1,029 soldiers, 82 of whom were mobilized.

Mediazona has also found that as of Dec. 1, Russian courts had received nearly 90,000 petitions seeking to have servicemen declared killed or missing in action. Such lawsuits are mass-mailed by military unit commanders in an effort to remove missing personnel from their rosters. In the early years of the war, such petitions were rare: courts routinely rejected applications from families, and military units did not submit such filings for reasons that remain unclear. A significant shift occurred in the second half of 2024, when lawsuits to declare soldiers dead or missing in action began to surge. This trend continued into 2025, with Russian courts receiving an average of 2,500 such lawsuits per week by the end of fall.

A criminal case has been opened against Maksim Kudryavtsev, a mobilized servicemember from the 15th Motorized Rifle Regiment and father of four, for leaving his unit after the birth of his fourth child. According to his relatives, in April 2025 he requested leave from his commanders to help his pregnant wife and stay with her after the delivery, providing all the necessary documents. After returning to his unit, Kudryavtsev submitted a resignation request based on the birth of his fourth child. He was then locked up and stopped receiving his pay. He was sent for evaluation by a military medical board and is not being released from the unit, while the authorities also refuse to close the criminal case.

Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents

The Znamensky Garrison Military Court has sentenced Russian servicemember Ravil Gumerov to 11 years in a special-regime penal colony on charges of desertion and murder. According to investigators, on Nov. 28, 2024, he left his unit without authorization, taking an AK-12 assault rifle with him. He lived for some time in the town of Ukrainsk in the occupied part of the Donetsk region. On June 13, 2025, while drinking with a local resident, Gumerov—after allegedly being insulted by the host—retrieved the rifle from a hiding place, returned to the yard, fired a warning shot into the air and then shot the man in the back, killing him.

In the Novosibirsk region, 11 people aged 25 to 47 were detained on charges of stealing payments intended for participants in the "special military operation." They are accused of fraud. According to investigators, from July to October 2025 the suspects targeted socially vulnerable men, persuaded them to sign contracts with the MoD, arranged powers of attorney or took their bank cards and even organized sham marriages—after which they appropriated the payments the men received. The damage is estimated at more than 5.2 million rubles [$67,600]. One of the suspects, an active-duty servicemember, is accused of taking bribes totaling up to 200,000 rubles [$2,600] in exchange for helping men pass their medical evaluation boards and sign contracts.

A court in Buryatia [Russia's constituent republic] has sentenced elderly Sergey Myasnikov to eight and a half years in a maximum security penal colony on charges of attempted murder committed from molester motives. On the evening of June 14, 2024, in the settlement of Onokhoy, the 66-year-old Myasnikov, allegedly intoxicated, approached a 17-year-old girl who was recording herself on her phone, grabbed her by the hood, and began choking her, saying, "I’ll kill you—people like you should be killed." When the minor managed to break free and called for help, Myasnikov caught up with her and continued choking her, but several local residents intervened. Doctors later documented multiple hematomas and abrasions, which they classified as moderate bodily harm. Myasnikov pleaded not guilty in court. He claimed he believed the girl was filming military facilities on instructions from Ukraine, saying he had previously seen TV reports about young people being recruited and carrying out acts of sabotage. He also acknowledged, however, that only residential buildings were located in that area.

In Novosibirsk, a group of eight teenagers was detained on suspicion of sabotage, preparation for sabotage and assisting it. According to police, one of the detainees received assignments from a handler via messenger and distributed it among the others. During the night of Dec. 1, minors in the city’s Pervomaisky district allegedly set fire to a thermo cabinet and disabled equipment at a cellular base station. The following night, they attempted to set fire to a relay cabinet. Police said they seized bottles filled with flammable liquid from the suspects. A court placed all eight in a pre-trial detention center until Feb. 3.

The Supreme Court of Komi [Russia's constituent republic] has sentenced Timofey Sukharev, a 20‑year‑old student at the Syktyvkar Automechanical Technical School, to 12 years in a penal colony on charges of attempted sabotage. According to the court, Sukharev received instructions on Telegram from an unidentified individual who claimed to be an officer of the Federal Security Service (FSB). Acting on those instructions, he disabled an electrical substation in the town of Vylgort, cutting power to the area. The FSB reported his detention in August of this year.

The 2nd Western District Military Court has sentenced Vitaly Revin, a 46‑year‑old engineer and entrepreneur, to 24 years in prison on charges of financing terrorism and treason. Prosecutors had sought a 25‑year sentence. According to investigators, in September 2023 Revin transferred an anti‑aircraft searchlight—used to detect missiles and drones—and components for "30 technical devices" purchased abroad to Ukraine, where he allegedly supplied them to a representative of the Azov Regiment. Revin’s defense team reported torture, threats and procedural violations during the investigation, claiming his confession was extracted after he was taken "to the woods." Revin maintains that the case is fabricated and that he is a political prisoner. He also said that the correspondence with Azov, cited by prosecutors, was never shown to him in its original form.

In Russian‑annexed Crimea, authorities have detained a resident of the Zabaykalsky region for allegedly attempting to blow up the car of a Black Sea Fleet officer on the instructions of what officials described as a "terrorist group banned in Russia." Investigators say the man received guidance on how to assemble an improvised explosive device and was detained while attaching it to the officer’s vehicle. He has been charged with terrorism and treason.

Assistance

Authorities have launched a pilot program to train mentor-psychologists, modeled on a curriculum developed at Moscow State University. The initiative is a response to an acute shortage of qualified mental-health professionals able to work with participants in the war. Another challenge, officials say, is that servicemen often do not trust psychologists who lack combat experience, which makes the support less effective. Because of this, the government is considering bringing in veterans of the wars in Afghanistan, Chechnya [Russia’s constituent republic], Syria and Ukraine to participate in the program.

Longreads

The Sever.Realii [part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] online media outlet examines how militaristic propaganda is spreading through Russian schools.

Journalist Maria Borzunova spoke with Russian officer Yevgeny Korobkov, who was portrayed as a "hero" by national media but in reality intentionally shot himself, and after receiving medical treatment, deserted and fled to Kazakhstan.