Mobilization in Russia for Feb. 9-11, 2025 CIT Volunteer Summary
Authorities and Legislation
Lawmakers have proposed stiffer penalties for certain crimes committed "for profit or hire." Irina Yarovaya and Vasily Piskaryov, members of the State Duma [lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia], have introduced a bill to raise the maximum sentence for calling for sanctions from three to five years and for "assisting the implementation of anti-Russian decisions by international organizations" from five to seven years. Moreover, the authors seek to eliminate the current requirement stipulating that individuals can only face criminal prosecution for "discrediting the Russian army" or calling for sanctions against Russia if they have previously received an administrative penalty for a similar offense. The proposed changes would also allow authorities to confiscate property obtained through these offenses. Legal experts interviewed by the Agentstvo [Agency] independent media outlet note that authorities could treat a salary, citizenship or even monetized posts and videos as "profit-driven motives." Yevgeny Smirnov of the organization First Department believes these changes are primarily targeted at journalists, bloggers, freelancers and politicians.
The State Duma passed a bill in three consecutive readings to index military pensions by 9.5%, following a January directive from Vladimir Putin to account for 2024 inflation. The measure affects pensions issued from Jan. 1, 2025, and the government estimates it will cost 50 billion rubles [$516 million].
Authorities in at least 42 Russian regions and in annexed Crimea introduced different compensation rules for minor and severe war injuries, the Vyorstka media outlet reports. Local officials set various compensation levels and lower payouts for lighter wounds. Some regions implemented this approach almost from the start of the war, while others adopted a structure similar to the federal system that was introduced in November 2024. In certain regions, officials base compensation on disability categories, and some regions do not offer any direct payments.
Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising
Authorities in Russia's constituent Republic of Mari El have increased its sign-up bonus for enlisting in the armed forces to 2.6 million rubles [$26,800], according to the Governor Yury Zaytsev. With the national payment of 400,000 rubles [$4,130], the total bonus amount in the republic will now reach 3 million rubles [$31,000]. This marks the second increase in 2025—just three weeks ago, the payment was raised from 1.4 million rubles [$14,400] to 1.8 million rubles [$18,600].
Timofey Mokhnenko, an employee of an oncology center accused of "inciting hatred or enmity" and "calling for or justifying terrorism online," is being pressured to sign a contract for deployment to the war while held in the Butyrka pre-trial detention center, his lawyer said. Mokhnenko had been arrested twice in a row for misdemeanors, serving two consecutive 15-day terms. Then, on May 18, 2024, after his release from the detention facility, he was taken into custody again—this time on criminal charges.
In the city of Severodvinsk, a man attacked a Rosgvardia [the Russian National Guard] vehicle with a knife in an attempt to get sent to the frontline. He was detained after a report of an attempted store robbery. Based on descriptions, police found a drunk man in camouflage, who pulled out a knife, threatened Rosgvardia officers and then stabbed it into the hood of their patrol car. He explained to law enforcement that he had committed a "small crime so they would take me and send me there [to the "special military operation"]."
Vladimir Tsydenov, a former deputy head of the Dzhidinsky District of Buryatia [Russia's constituent republic] who had been accused of bribery, went to war. In December 2023, Tsydenov was accused of receiving a large bribe. In September 2024, it was revealed that his draft office had requested the Investigative Committee drop the case and release him due to his decision to join the war.
The police have detained a 25-year-old man from Moscow, Dmitry Mochalovsky, who had previously been declared partially fit for military service. Last year, he was reclassified as fit for service and received a draft notice. He challenged the decision in court and underwent an independent military medical examination, which determined that he should be classified under the service fitness category "B" (fit for military service with minor restrictions) due to hypertension. Nevertheless, Mochalovsky the court case, though the ruling had not yet taken effect pending an appeal. He said that he was detained near his home: "I am being taken to the prosecutor's office and then to the draft office, even though I have not received a notice to undergo a repeat military medical examination." It is worth noting that the spring conscription campaign is not set to begin until April 1, 2025.
Mobilized Soldiers, Volunteer Fighters, and Contract Soldiers Relatives of Artur, a 20-year-old conscript from Elista, allege that he was misdiagnosed and denied hospitalization, which resulted in his death. The young man was drafted in the summer of 2024 and served in the 102nd Motorized Rifle Regiment in the Rostov region. On Dec. 12, Artur wrote to his brother that he had a high fever. The next day, he went to the infirmary, where he was hooked up to an IV with saline solution. Shortly after, he asked to be transferred to a hospital, but according to his brother, the request was denied. On Dec. 20, when Artur's condition had worsened significantly, he was finally taken to a hospital in Novocherkassk where he underwent surgery and was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia. Three days later, on Dec. 23, his relatives learned that Artur was transferred to another hospital in critical condition and placed on a ventilator. On Dec. 29, he died. His family was not allowed to collect his body for several days.
A disabled resident of Russia’s Krasnodar region was sent into combat, then thrown into a pit and held in a torture basement near Donetsk. On June 6, 2024, Ilya Arnold was sentenced to a year in a penal colony on drug charges. However, by July 28, he had already signed a contract with the MoD and been deployed to fight in the war against Ukraine, assigned to the 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade. In September, he sustained severe injuries to both legs and was sent to a hospital in Donetsk. From there, he was taken to a medical unit in the town of Dokuchaievsk, where he was placed in a basement, beaten and forced to transfer money to his commanders. Due to complications from his injuries, Arnold was repeatedly sent back to the hospital but was each time returned to the basement. Eventually, he was thrown into a pit in the town of Kurakhove before being sent on a combat mission. Upon seeing his condition, his commander canceled his participation in the assault. Arnold was then transported to the village of Pisky, where he was locked in a basement with 15 other wounded soldiers. According to his mother, injured soldiers, including those on crutches, were being formed into assault units and sent back to the frontlines. She filed complaints with various authorities, but they led nowhere. She then traveled to military headquarters in the city of Makiivka to file a formal complaint against the unit's commander. Shortly afterward, she began receiving death threats and fled Makiivka. Now, she is being threatened with her son’s murder if she does not stop speaking out. Despite this, she continues to demand that her son be evacuated to Russia for surgery and proper medical treatment.
A wounded contract soldier from the Orenburg region was sent back to the frontlines instead of receiving proper treatment with an Ilizarov apparatus [orthopedic fixation device]. He signed a military contract in the spring of 2024 and was assigned to the 30th Motorized Rifle Brigade. That summer, he suffered serious injuries and was evacuated to a military hospital. After being discharged, he was granted medical leave for treatment and scheduled for surgery. However, before taking his leave, he visited his unit to finalize compensation payments but never returned. It was not until February that he was able to inform his family that he had been redeployed to the frontlines and given a weapon, despite being classified under service fitness category "G" (temporarily unfit for military service). According to his relatives, he is currently near the town of Avdiivka, even though one of his arms is nonfunctional.
Aleksandr, a 20-year-old conscript, was sent to fight in the war against Ukraine after his signature was forged on a contract. The young man was conscripted in April 2024 and assigned to the 80th Tank Regiment of the 90th Tank Division in Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk region. In August, 195,000 rubles [$2,010] were deposited into his account, followed by two additional payments of 500,000 rubles [$5,160] each. The prosecutor's office explained that these payments were related to a contract that Aleksandr claims he never signed. Aleksandr filed a request to annul the contract but never received a response. His father is convinced that the signature on the contract was forged and is demanding an official examination. An expert who reviewed handwriting samples and the contract also doubted the authenticity of the signature. Additionally, there is no record of the contract in Aleksandr's military ID. Nevertheless, according to his father, Aleksandr was first sent to the Belgorod region and then to the "special military operation zone." Although he was supposed to be assigned to the artillery, he was placed in assault troops. Previously, conscripts assigned to the 90th Tank Division had repeatedly reported (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) being pressured to sign contracts and receiving payments for contracts they never signed.
Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents
A military court has sentenced Corporal Nikita Posmetukhov to life imprisonment for the murder of four fellow soldiers. His charges include the murder two or more people performing their official duties, committed from molester motives, as well as violent acts against superiors during an armed conflict. According to an order by Mikhail Teplinsky, the commander of the Group of Troops "Dnepr," published by the Mobilizatsiya [Mobilization] Telegram channel, in the early hours of Nov. 28, 2023, Posmetukhov was drinking with his fellow soldiers in the 17th Tank Regiment of the 70th Motorized Rifle Division. Afterward, he took an assault rifle and proceeded to the command bunker. When patrol officers responded to his knocking, he opened fire, killing one of them. Posmetukhov then entered the bunker and shot the sleeping Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Klyukin, Captain Mikhail Trubin and Private Vladimir Petrichenko. He was subsequently detained. The alleged motive for Posmetukhov's actions was dissatisfaction with Captain Komarovsky, who had previously subjected him to disciplinary action and threatened to send him to an assault unit. However, Komarovsky was not among the victims of his attack.
Dmitry Zobnin, a 27-year-old participant in the war against Ukraine with a previous criminal record for murdering his girlfriend, assaulted a 16-year-old teenager. While drunk, Zobnin attempted to attract the attention of underage girls with obscene gestures while riding the same bus. A friend of the girls tried to stand up for them, which led Zobnin to insult him, then throw him off the bus and start beating him. Zobnin was stopped only when a passerby intervened and used pepper spray. The teenager was sent to a hospital with fractures and other injuries, and Zobnin was detained the next day. According to Fontanka [pro-Russian media outlet of the Leningrad region], a criminal case has been initiated against him under the charge of battery.
A military court has sentenced officer Ilya Lunyn to three years of probation for large-scale fraud. According to case files, by order of the unit commander, Lunyn had been assigned responsibilities since March 2024, including receiving and accommodating military personnel who refused to follow orders at forward positions. Lunyn offered one such "refusenik" help in avoiding criminal prosecution in exchange for a bribe of 200,000 rubles [$2,060]. The soldier transferred part of the amount—20,000 rubles [$210]—to Lunyn. Some time later, Lunyn called him and demanded the full amount, stating that he would not provide assistance otherwise. The serviceman filed a complaint with the Federal Security Service (FSB) and, under the supervision of intelligence officers, transferred the remaining 180,000 rubles [$1,850], after which Lunyn was detained.
Law enforcement officers in Russia's Belgorod region have detained three individuals aged 15, 17 and 20 on suspicion of setting fire to relay cabinets. Law enforcement claims the suspects acted in exchange for payment. They face criminal charges for committing an act of terror in a group in conspiracy.
Two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, have been detained in Russia's Irkutsk region on suspicion of setting fire to a relay cabinet on the railway in Ust-Kut on the morning of Feb. 8. According to the suspects, they were following instructions received from an unknown person via messenger. They were promised 10,000 rubles [$100] for the arson. The young men were taken into custody on charges of committing an act of terror.
In Saint Petersburg, 22-year-old local resident Yury Petrash, who was detained for allegedly setting fire to the door of the FSB building on Feb. 7, has been arrested on charges of committing an act of terror. The young man will remain in a pre-trial detention center at least until April 6.
The identity of one of the four girls arrested on suspicion of preparing "terrorist attacks" on Feb. 7 has been revealed. The person arrested in Voronezh turned out to be 41-year-old Ukrainian powerlifting champion Yulia Lemeshchenko. She is alleged to have been planning assassination attempts on several high-ranking Russian officers and a series of sabotage attacks on Russian industrial facilities. According to local Telegram channels, Lemeshchenko holds Russian citizenship. She was born in Stary Oskol but moved to the city of Kharkiv in 2014. Investigators claim that she was promised Ukrainian citizenship for carrying out these attacks.
In Kursk, 31-year-old Maksim Moskalyov has been sentenced to 20.5 years in a maximum-security penal colony on charges of treason and sabotage. According to the court, in January 2024, he used a messenger to cooperate with a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. After receiving an assignment, he took a photo near a draft office and sent it to the representative. He then set fire to a transportation infrastructure facility.
The sentence for 27-year-old graduate student Vladimir Mironov, who smashed a window at a draft office in Saint Petersburg, has been reduced. Instead of the initial four years, the court sentenced him to three years and four months in a penal colony. The sentence was mitigated after the charges were reclassified from "hooliganism involving the use of a weapon" to "gross violation of public order demonstrating disrespect for society."
Assistance
According to Aleksandr Matsegora, Russia's ambassador to Pyongyang, North Korea is eagerly assisting Russia in treating soldiers wounded in Ukraine. He stated that hundreds of wounded Russian troops have been recovering in North Korean medical facilities.
Children and Educational System
Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov spoke about the ongoing work on the education system development strategy until 2036, inspired by Putin. He mentioned that the document would establish provisions for visits to educational institutions by soldiers who took part in the war with Ukraine.
In educational institutions across the country, the so-called "month of defense-mass and military-patriotic work" has been launched. As part of it, children are compelled to participate in contests of drawings, poems and songs on military themes, and "lessons of courage" and class hours dedicated to the war against Ukraine are held. War veterans visit schools and kindergartens, where they tell children about combat operations.
In Chelyabinsk, at kindergarten No. 423, war veterans conducted a "lesson of courage" for children, during which they demonstrated models of assault rifles, pistols and grenades. Children were also shown a downed quadcopter and the PFM-1 "Butterfly" anti-personnel landmine (aka "Petal").
Miscellaneous
The Wall Street Journal, citing three former Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) employees who testified to the International Criminal Court investigators, reported that Igor Potapenko, head of the FSIN in Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region, in May 2022, ordered special units of the FSIN to show particular cruelty towards Ukrainian prisoners of war. Potapenko indicated that standard detention rules would not apply to captives, violence against them would not be restricted, and body cameras mandatory elsewhere in Russia’s prison system would be gone. Later, similar instructions were given to other units across the country—from Buryatia, Moscow, Pskov and elsewhere. Additionally, a rotation policy was introduced for FSIN staff overseeing Ukrainian PoWs: teams were required to stay in one prison for no more than a month. While on duty, guards wore balaclavas at all times to prevent recognition by Ukrainians afterwards.
The New York Times reported on the torture endured by 73-year-old American citizen Stephen James Hubbard in a Russian prison. In April 2022, Russian soldiers arrested Hubbard, a resident of Izium, Ukraine, where he taught English, accusing him of being a member of the territorial defense forces. In October 2024, a Moscow court sentenced Hubbard to six years and ten months in a penal colony on a charge of being a mercenary. Former Ukrainian PoW, released through a prisoner exchange, revealed details of the abuse Hubbard and other PoWs endured. They specifically noted that guards treated Hubbard with particular cruelty because of his American nationality.
Longreads
The Sever.Realii [part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]online media outlet reported on a system of compulsory payments for frontline needs established at Russian companies.