Mobilization in Russia for Feb. 12-13, 2024 CIT Volunteer Summary

Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising

Authorities in the Krasnodar region have once again increased the sign-up bonus for individuals willing to enlist in the armed forces and participate in the war. Only two weeks ago, the bonus was raised from 200,000 rubles [$2,190] to 300,000 rubles [$3,290]. Now, the sign-up bonus is 500,000 rubles [$5,480]. Individuals who signed contracts with the Ministry of Defense after Feb. 1, 2024, will automatically receive an additional 200,000 rubles [$2,190]. Over the last two years, regional authorities have spent more than 5 billion rubles [$54.80 million] to compensate participants in the invasion and their families. Meanwhile, the deficit of the region’s budget for 2024 amounts to 14% or more than 64 billion rubles [$701 million].

The Voyennye Advokaty [Military Lawyers] Telegram channel has prepared an explanation of the military registration process for adolescents, which occurs annually from Jan. 1 to March 31.

Mobilized Soldiers, Volunteer Fighters and Contract Soldiers

Authorities in Ufa plan to spend 1,63 million rubles [$17,900] from the city treasury to organize the funerals of service members killed in the war against Ukraine. This sum is expected to cover the funeral expenses of at least 24 individuals. Previously, the authorities had already concluded two similar contracts for the procurement of funeral services. The first contract covered the funerals of 31 individuals from Nov. 3 to Dec. 29., while the second funded an additional 26 funerals from Dec. 26 to Jan. 31.

Ayyl Djulurkha, a civil activist from the "Yakutia with You!" movement, has left for the US due to the risk of persecution. Djulurkha initiated a petition advocating for the return of mobilized residents from the region to their homes. The activist reported undergoing "preventive talks" with government, Federal Security Service (FSB) and police officials. Additionally, some of Djulurkha's allies reportedly experienced "untimely and mysterious deaths."

A mobilized man from Udmurtia [Russia's constituent republic] was initially denied permission to leave the war zone, despite suffering multiple strokes and having a chronic disease that is a contraindication to military service. His discharge only became possible through the intervention of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Udmurtia.

Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents

The Ulan-Ude Garrison Military Court has sentenced serviceman Andrey Erdyneev to a fine of 100,000 rubles [$1,100] for theft causing significant damage. The maximum penalty for this offense is five years in a penal colony. According to court records, the soldier stole a mobile phone from his acquaintance after they had "consumed alcohol together."

Ilya Kulinich from the city of Shakhty, Rostov region, who lost his leg in the war with Ukraine, assaulted his 2-year-old stepdaughter, recorded it on video and sent the footage to the child's mother, who was attending her friend's birthday party at the time. The video of the abuse against the child surfaced several days after the couple’s solemn marriage ceremony, previously reported by local authorities. However, information about the marriage ceremony has since disappeared from official websites. At present, the police have only issued an administrative protocol against the girl's mother for "improper performance of parental duties," punishable by a fine of up to 500 rubles [$5.48]. Additionally, a protocol for battery has been filed against Kulinich, and under this charge, he could face arrest for up to 15 days or a fine of up to 30,000 rubles [$330]. The head of the Investigative Committee has instructed authorities to provide updates on the progress of investigators regarding this incident.

War participant Ilya Metlitsky, previously convicted of murdering his partner, has been fined 25,000 rubles [$270]. In 2019, Metlitsky was sentenced to 16 years in a penal colony for a brutal murder where he stabbed his girlfriend 100 times with a knife and took a selfie with the corpse. In 2022, he enlisted in the war as part of the Wagner Group, leading to his pardon and release. Subsequently, he met a new victim online, but when she discovered his criminal history, she ceased communication with him. Metlitsky then tracked down the woman, caused a car accident involving her vehicle and shattered the windshield. Later, he attacked the woman again, attempting to inject a syringe with red liquid into her chest, but it hit the phone in her pocket instead. Criminal cases for property damage and attempted murder were opened against him. When sentencing him for the broken glass incident, the court took into account Metlitsky's state awards as mitigating factors and fined him 25,000 rubles [$270]. He is currently in a pre-trial detention center, and according to his lawyer, he has signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense and is expected to go to war soon.

The Astra Telegram channel has reported that Stanislav Filippov, a resident of the Stavropol region, was detained in the town of Neftekumsk on Feb. 9. According to investigators, Filippov had brought six grenades and seven fuses from the Russian-occupied Luhansk region of Ukraine and stored them at his home. He has since been charged with illegal trafficking of explosives.

The Abakan Garrison Military Court has sentenced two servicemen, Chayan Sagdy and Solaan Sambu-Khoo, to five and five and a half years in a penal colony for going AWOL during mobilization. According to the prosecution, Sagdy did not report back to his unit after his leave, spending two months at home instead. He later voluntarily showed up at a military commissariat [enlistment office], leading to the opening of a case against him. Sambu-Khoo is accused of leaving his duty station in January 2023, and in August 2023, he voluntarily went to the commandant’s office, where he was taken into custody.

The FSB has reported the detention of a "foreign citizen, a Ukrainian by nationality," in the Leningrad region, who allegedly had five improvised explosive devices on him. According to the pro-Kremlin Ran'she vseh. Nu pochti [Almost Earlier Than Others] Telegram channel, the FSB prevented a "Ukrainian sabotage at a gas distribution station pipeline junction." The Bumaga [Paper] independent media outlet noted that a court in Saint Petersburg ordered the custody of Sergey Zazulya, a citizen of Kazakhstan, until April 9. He is charged with sabotage with aggravating circumstances and illegal trafficking of explosives. The FSB's report likely referred to Zazulya's arrest.

The Rosfinmonitoring [the Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation] list of terrorists and extremists has, according to Russian authorities, marking the youngest "terrorist" to date. The individual is identified as 14-year-old Yegor Lauskis, who, as per information from his school friend, was reportedly sent to a penal colony last summer for arson of relay cabinets "on the instructions of the Ukrainians."

A resident of the Penza region was detained at the Russian border in the Kaliningrad region. According to investigators, he attempted to go to Ukraine and join the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

A court in Ufa has ordered the two-month arrest of Valliam Mutallapov, the father of four children. He was previously detained for participating in protests in Baymak, Bashkortostan [Russia's constituent republic]. Mutallapov faces charges of participating in mass unrest and violence against a law enforcement officer.

Assistance

The government of the Vladimir region is planning to send doctors of various specialties, including neurologists, ophthalmologists and pediatricians, to the town of Kirovske in the occupied Donetsk region of Ukraine. However, it is worth noting that the region itself is facing a severe shortage of personnel in its own healthcare sector.

Children and Educational System

Yury Pavlov, chairman of the Vladimir regional branch of the Union of Writers of Russia, conducted a "lesson of courage" for cadets in the town of Raduzhny, dedicated to the two-year anniversary of the "special military operation" in Ukraine. Meanwhile, at School No. 31 in Vladimir, former Children's Rights Commissioner of the region Gennady Prokhorychev and separatist Artur Trinka, who returned from the war, spoke to the children. They informed the students that "Ukrainian authorities engage in terrorism, shelling the Belgorod and Kursk regions daily."

Longreads

The Mozhem Ob'yasnit [We Can Explain] Telegram channel has revealed how desperate relatives of those missing in action in the war with Ukraine become victims of scammers who forge photos of their missing relatives and extort money for their "return." Operating under the guise of media representatives, these scammers contact family members and distribute a phishing application, claiming it contains operational information. Additionally, fake "search teams" extort money from families under the false pretense of securing the release of their loved ones from captivity.