Mobilization in Russia for July 18-19, 2024 CIT Volunteer Summary
Authorities and Legislation
Russian lawmakers have submitted a bill to the State Duma, the country’s lower house of the Federal Assembly, to upgrade penalties for offenders who deliberately destruct or damage public or private property for extremist-related reasons, including hatred towards specific social groups. The penalty for violating the bill’s provisions is proposed to be increased to five years of imprisonment. Currently, the law does not cover extremist motives, and the maximum sentence is limited to two years. The comments to the bill specifically address the escalating damage and destruction of property belonging to war supporters, including vandalization of cars decorated with war symbols Z and V.
Another bill has been presented for debate, seeking to enable alternative civilian service on manufacturing sites of the Russian defense industry. The government has rejected the bill, saying that the production of weapons contradicts the very idea of civilian service as a peaceful alternative for conscripts who refuse to bear weapons.
The Investigative Committee has submitted proposals to the State Duma [lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia] to tighten migration laws. The agency plans to expand the grounds for revoking acquired citizenship for the preparation, attempt or commission of any intentional grave or aggravated crime. Additionally, the Investigative Committee believes that acquiring Russian citizenship should be synchronized with military registration.
According to Meduza [international Russian-language online media outlet], Sergey Kirienko, the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Administration, stated in a meeting with deputy governors that the return of participants from the war with Ukraine will become "the main factor of political and social risks." Kirienko believes that war participants "poorly adapt" to civilian life after returning from the frontline. He noted that many went to war to be released from penal colonies, and upon returning home, they commit crimes again. However, Kirienko did not propose any specific measures to address the problem. Meduza's sources noted that in private conversations, officials are already referring to those returning from the frontline as "the new Afghans" and fear that they too might start forming their own criminal groups. Two other participants of the meeting told Meduza that, in their opinion, the Kremlin does not understand the scale of risks that Russia may face after the war.
The State Duma Committee on Security and Corruption Control has approved a series of amendments to various laws that expand the powers of the Federal Security Service (FSB). These amendments propose granting the FSB access to the Civil Registry Office database. This will provide the intelligence services with information on the registration of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, name changes, paternity establishment and any changes to these records.
Authorities and Relatives of Mobilized Soldiers
In the Sverdlovsk region, Oleg Neyfeld, the mayor of the town of Bogdanovich, won a lawsuit against the pregnant wife of a war participant for 25,000 rubles [$280] for "emotional distress". Irina Kostyleva, a 38-year-old mother of two, is currently pregnant with her third child, while her husband is involved in the invasion. Neyfeld sued her over a comment on a Telegram channel that publishes news about the Russian funeral business. Kostyleva accused the mayor of being complicit in the hostile takeover of the funeral business, which resulted in the cost of digging a grave rising to 70,000 rubles [$790]. In his statement, the mayor wrote that Kostyleva's comment caused him "deteriorated health, emotional distress and anxiety". He demanded compensation of 50,000 rubles [$570], but the court halved the amount.
Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising
Authorities in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region [Russia's federal subject] have nearly doubled the payment for signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense, increasing it from 600,000 rubles [$6,820] to 1.1 million rubles [$12,500]. With the additional payment from the MoD, signing a contract in Yamal can now bring in 1.3 million rubles [$14,700]. This has allowed the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region to match Saint Petersburg, placing them together in third and fourth place in the payment ranking, according to the Govorit NeMoskva [NonMoscow Is Speaking] Telegram channel.
The Deputy Head of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yury Zavyalov suggested that criminals on the run turn themselves in and take a tour of duty in the war zone to avoid punishment.
After the Lyudi Baikala [People of Baikal] independent media outlet published a report on 22-year-old conscript Ilya Shelomentsev, who was coerced under threats into signing a contract with the MoD, authorities promised his mother that the contract would be annulled and he would not be sent to the frontline. Currently, Shelomentsev’s parents are awaiting written answers from the Investigative Committee and the Military Prosecutor’s office.
The Voyennye Advokaty [Military Lawyers] Telegram channel has provided information on which IT specialists could be eligible for draft deferral this fall and what steps need to be taken to receive it. Eligible individuals must apply for the deferral via the Gosuslugi public services portal between July 24 and Aug. 6, 2024.
Mobilized Soldiers, Volunteer Fighters and Contract Soldiers
The list of mobilized soldiers killed in the war has been updated to include Nikolay Litovchenko from the Rostov region, Keram Bogatyryov from Russia’s constituent Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia, Sergey Frolov, Vitaly Fedotov and Sergey Fyodorov from Russia’s constituent Republic of Tatarstan, as well as Rail Khanov from Russia’s constituent Republic of Bashkortostan.
Based on open sources, Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet] and BBC News Russian, together with volunteers, have verified the names of 59,725 Russian fighters killed in Ukraine, including 7,444 mobilized soldiers. Over the past week, the list has been supplemented with 557 soldiers.
Russian soldiers have been awarded bonuses for destroying Abrams tanks. Soldiers from the Group of Troops "Center," fighting in the Avdiivka direction in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, received payments of 500,000 rubles [$5,670], funded by the Fores company. A company representative, Ilya Potanin, promised that Russian soldiers would also receive bonuses for destroying F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft, even though the delivery of F-15 fighters has never been announced by Western allies.
Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents
In Astrakhan, a court has sentenced a war participant to nine and a half years in a penal colony for the murder and dismemberment of his female partner. While the court withheld the convict's name, journalists identified him as Ivan Polunin. The court provided few details about the case but noted that Polunin's war participation was considered a mitigating factor, along with his remorse and the fact that he has two children. No aggravating circumstances were found. According to leaked online data, Polunin was previously implicated in a drug production or distribution case in 2018 and had also served prison time on robbery charges.
A court in the Stavropol region has sentenced Ivan Palchin, a previously convicted participant of the war in Ukraine, to two and a half years in a penal colony for inflicting grievous bodily harm. In January, Palchin got into an altercation with a random passerby over "Palchin's military service" and the "special military operation" in Ukraine. The encounter ended with Palchin assaulting the man, who lost consciousness and later fell into a coma. Court records show that Palchin had a prior conviction for theft in 2020.
A court in Volgograd has ordered Ivan Dyakonov, a participant in the invasion, to be held in a pre-trial detention center on suspicion of shooting at children with a carbine in the village of Ugolsky. As a result of the incident, a 12-year-old boy suffered two gunshot wounds.
The Southern District Military Court has upheld the verdict of the Maykop Garrison Military Court against contract soldier Yevgeny Shevchenko, who was sentenced to eight years in a maximum security penal colony for two instances of desertion that occurred in the summer of 2023.
On July 19 in Saint Petersburg, two servicemen who had fled from the frontline were detained. According to Fontanka [pro-Russian media outlet of the Leningrad region], one of them is a 49-year-old native of the Vologda region with a previous criminal record for hooliganism, while the other is a 46-year-old local resident who had served time for theft, extortion and murder. Both men had signed contracts with the MoD while incarcerated. They were detained in an intoxicated state as they were leaving a building.
The Southern District Military Court has sentenced Serhiy Yerzhov to 18 years of imprisonment for the gas pipeline explosion near Yalta, Crimea. He was found guilty of carrying out a terrorist attack with severe consequences, undergoing training for terrorist activities, illegally manufacturing explosive devices, and unlawfully acquiring and storing explosives. According to the court, in 2022, Yerzhov "made contact with a member of the SBU," under whose guidance he "acquired comprehensive knowledge, practical skills and abilities in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices." On June 12, 2023, he received instructions for making a bomb and information on the location of caches with components for its creation. On June 23, an explosion occurred on the gas pipeline in the resort village of Koreiz near Yalta. The explosion left approximately 500 people without gas for a day, as reported by the Russian-appointed Crimean authorities. Yerzhov was detained in early July 2023, and in a video released by the FSB, he pleaded guilty.
Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist for The Wall Street Journal, has been sentenced to 16 years in a maximum security penal colony on charges of espionage. The prosecution had initially sought an 18-year sentence. Gershkovich was accused of gathering information about UralVagonZavod, a Russian state-owned defense enterprise known for manufacturing tanks and other products. Gershkovich has denied the charges, stating that he was simply performing his professional duties as a journalist.
In Kaluga, a man set off fireworks inside a draft office. He ignited four rounds in the hall before attempting to flee but was quickly apprehended. During interrogation, he claimed that he acted under the influence of fraudsters who had promised to return previously stolen funds. The fireworks did not cause a major fire; the blaze was swiftly extinguished by draft office staff.
Assistance
In the Irkutsk region, funds are being raised for body bags for evacuating corpses from the frontline. This request was made in a closed chat for military wives, according to reports by Lyudi Baikala. Military personnel involved in body evacuation have appealed for donations to cover the cost of the bags.
In the Kamchatka region, Rosgvardia (the Russian National Guard) is offering hunters to donate their rifles to the war, implying that the surrendered civilian weapons will be used to combat UAVs.
Miscellaneous
In the Novosibirsk region, interest from employers in hiring 14-18-year-olds has risen by 21% over the past month. Concurrently, the number of resumes submitted by teenagers has surged by 73%. The most common job interests among young people include positions as salespeople, waiters, packers and baristas. In March, it was reported that the highest demand for teenage labor was in the Kemerovo region, with a 68% increase over the year.
Longreads
Novaya Gazeta Europe [European edition of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta] has estimated the impact of the war on the Russian economy. According to journalists, Russia may have already lost between 1.5 million and 1.7 million people or about 2.2% of the workforce. These figures primarily include mobilized soldiers and contract soldiers sent to the frontline, those who have emigrated and combat losses. If there is a new wave of mobilization, the number of people removed from the economy to the frontline could increase by another 50 to 60% by the end of 2024.
The Insider [independent Russian investigative media outlet] reports about a punishment system in the Russian Army that is based on prison traditions. Commanders are creating "punitive platoons" or squads of voluntary assistants to strengthen discipline and punish drinking soldiers. These groups of soldiers receive certain privileges, such as exemptions from participating in assaults.
According to calculations by the Re: Russia project, Russian authorities may have spent up to 3 trillion rubles [$34 billion] on payments to war participants over the past year. This amount constitutes 1.5% of GDP or 7.5-8.2% of all federal budget expenditures for 2024. Of this sum, 1.55-1.8 trillion rubles [$17.6-$20 billion] has been allocated for monthly salaries of military personnel, while the remaining 1.2 trillion rubles [$13.3 billion] has been designated for payments for injuries, disabilities and deaths.
The Sever.Realii [part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] online media outlet discussed how authorities are coercing convicts to enlist in the war. The Cherta [Boundary] independent online media outlet published interviews with gamblers who sign military contracts and go to the frontline to pay off their debts. Additionally, Idel.Realii, also part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, released a report on a military propaganda marathon in Tatarstan.
Meduza examined the situation with passport annulments and provided guidance on how to check if an internal Russian passport has been declared invalid.