Mobilization in Russia for July 12-14, 2024 CIT Volunteer Summary
Authorities and Legislation
The Russian government plans to revise punishments for armed rebellion and treason. It introduced a bill into the State Duma [lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia] to link sentences to the degree of participation in a mutiny. In case the mutiny leads to severe consequences and casualties, participants could face up to life imprisonment. At the same time, the changes would also offer immunity from criminal prosecution to individuals who promptly and voluntarily report the mutiny, helping to prevent damage. This legislative initiative aims to motivate mutiny participants to abandon illegal actions. Individuals who lead or organize a mutiny would face imprisonment for 15 to 20 years. While the sentence for participating in a mutiny, which is 12 to 20 years’ imprisonment, would remain unchanged, participation would be listed under a new, second part of Article 279 [armed rebellion] of the Russian Criminal Code.
Vladimir Putin signed a bill into law that permits disabled children and adults, disabled from childhood, to concurrently receive survivor and disability benefits if a parent was killed in the "special military operation." Previously, he had signed another bill granting both a monthly survivor’s benefit and an insurance pension to the families of military personnel killed in action in Ukraine.
Putin also signed a bill into law to grant children of military personnel killed in the invasion survivor’s benefits until they reach 23 years of age, even in cases where they stop attending one educational institution and transfer to another in the same year. Adult children of individuals killed in the war had been demanding this change to the legislation. It is worth noting that in April, Putin had signed a decree to give adult children priority during the distribution of death gratuities, amounting to 5 million rubles [$57,100], among beneficiaries.
Additionally, Putin signed a law to increase military pensions by 5.1%, which will come into effect on Oct. 1, 2024. This decision was announced back in May by Russia’s Minister of Finance, Anton Siluanov. In December 2023, the federal government issued a resolution to index certain payments to Russian military personnel and members of volunteer fighter units by 4.5%, but due to changes in inflation forecasts, the percentage was revised.
Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising
Residents of Ufa, Bashkortostan [Russia’s constituent republic], who sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense will receive a one-time payment of 300,000 rubles [$3,420]. This new regulation has been in effect since July 10, increasing the previous payment of 200,000 rubles [$2,280]. Last week, authorities in Bashkortostan increased the sign-up bonus from 205,000 rubles [$2,340] to 505,000 rubles [$5,760]. Therefore, with the federal payment included, contract soldiers can receive up to one million rubles [$11,420].
In Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan [Russia’s constituent Republic], those who sign contracts with the MoD receive an additional payment from municipalities and local enterprises amounting to 300,000 rubles [$3,420]. Considering regional and federal payments, those willing to sign a contract here can expect a total sum of 1.5 million rubles [$17,100]. Additionally, regional media report the recruitment of foreigners for participation in the war, with six citizens of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan having already signed contracts with the MoD.
In Tatarstan, a recruitment telethon titled "Join the Army of Victory!" is set to begin at 8:00 a.m. on July 15. The event will feature officials, artists and pro-military volunteers who will provide local residents with information on how to sign a contract with the MoD and potentially earn up to 1.5 million rubles [$17,100]. The telethon will also cover support measures for soldiers and their families, including increased payments from the republic. Recently, Tatarstan introduced a 100,000-ruble [$1,140] incentive for "freelance recruiters"—residents who successfully convince others to sign contracts with the MoD.
The Tatarstan branch of the Communists of Russia party has announced the deployment of a seven-member volunteer unit to the frontline, led by Alfred Valiev, the First Secretary of the party’s regional branch. All members have enlisted in a volunteer unit, and as a result, the party has decided to withdraw from the upcoming elections for the State Council of Tatarstan.
The MOBILIZATION | News Telegram channel has reported that in the Suvorovsky district of the Tula region, employees at the contract military service have begun patrolling streets and workplaces to find Russians willing to sign contracts for military service.
In southern Moscow, military commissars, officers from the Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee and police conducted a raid targeting migrants. Following the operation, more than 20 people who had received Russian citizenship were registered for military service, and reportedly, three men signed contracts with the MoD.
Mobilized Soldiers, Volunteer Fighters and Contract Soldiers
The list of mobilized soldiers killed in the war with Ukraine has been updated to include Vitaly Chekashov, Ramil Khusaenov and Sergey Khuraskin from the Saratov region, Ivan Subbotin from the Volgograd region, Rasul Medzhidov from Dagestan [Russia’s constituent Republic], Roman Dyomkin, Sergey Makarov and Roman Kolomiets from the Sverdlovsk region, Sayan Shopkhoev from the Zabaykalsky region [Russia's federal subject], Aleksandr Vlasov, Vyacheslav Korovin and Aleksey Alekseyev from Buryatia [Russia's constituent republic], Vladislav Mardanov from Bashkortostan, Andrey Dikin from the Ivanovo region, as well as Nikolay Bezkorovayny from the Oryol region.
Conscrip Kirill Poluyanov, who was undergoing statutory military service in the Republic of Buryatia, died under unclear circumstances on June 26, 2024. His body was found in the forest, 11 kilometers from his military base, standing next to a tree with a belt around his neck. The Investigative Committee called Poluyanov's death a suicide, but his relatives doubt this version due to several inconsistencies. They have filed appeals to all relevant authorities, yet a criminal case has not been initiated thus far.
More than 130 volunteer fighters from Tatarstan’s Alga volunteer battalion are still listed as missing in action; the command either cannot evacuate their bodies from the battlefield or does not know where they were killed. This summer, authorities began forming a new battalion called Batyr. By the beginning of July, only 100 of the required 400 fighters had been recruited. They have already been sent for training.
Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents
Russian soldiers attempted to ransack a pig farm in the Belgorod region. The incident was recorded by a CCTV camera. According to the Pepel [Ashes] Telegram channel, which published the video, on July 10, the servicemen arrived at the pig farm in a car, broke down the door and entered the building. Failing to find anything of value, they fled the crime scene.
A court in Kabardino-Balkaria [Russia’s constituent republic] has sentenced war participant Alberd Chechenov to one year and eight months of imprisonment for theft. In February 2024, Chechenov robbed a private house. The court's verdict noted that the criminal had been pardoned by Putin. In October 2022, Chechenov was sentenced to two years in a maximum security penal colony for theft; prior to this, he had been convicted at least five times, including on drug-related charges. The new sentence mentions previous convictions, indicating that Chechenov likely served in a Storm-Z unit rather than with the Wagner Group.
The National Police of Ukraine has published statistics on crimes committed by Russian Armed Forces personnel since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A total of 121,945 criminal cases were initiated against Russian soldiers and "their accomplices." Among these cases, 106,596 were related to violations of the laws and customs of war, and 9,279 involved encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine. Additionally, the report stated that 561 children were killed, 1,459 children were injured and 1,961 children went missing as a result of the crimes committed during this period.
Assistance
Children of missing soldiers will soon receive free meals in schools throughout the Chelyabinsk region. Previously, only children of active soldiers were entitled to two hot meals a day at school. Additionally, college students under the age of 24 who have a parent or spouse involved in the war will also be eligible for this benefit.
The Vladimir branch of the Defenders of the Fatherland Fund has made it public that six more residents of the Vladimir region, who fought in Ukraine as part of the Wagner Group, have received certificates as combat veterans.
Commissioner for Human Rights in Buryatia Yulia Zhambalova has said that on her reception day in one of the districts of Buryatia, 27 of the 29 complaints received were related to the problems of "special military operation" participants. Among the voiced problems are the search for MIA soldiers, non-payment of salaries and compensation in case of injury or death, as well as failure to provide leave to military personnel.
Miscellaneous
The United Russia party [Putin's ruling party] plans to nominate 19 veterans of the war with Ukraine for elections in the Irkutsk region; however, the party has not disclosed their identities. According to the Siberian Express media outlet, only seven nominees in the Irkutsk region were identified as "participants of the special military operation" on the primaries’ website. All of them are active politicians who are no longer in the combat zone. One of these nominees had previously been accused of complicity in murder, but the case was closed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.