Mobilization in Russia for July 26-28, 2024 CIT Volunteer Summary

Authorities and Legislation

The administration of the town of Dolgoprudny, Moscow region, has called on the State Duma [lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia] to grant volunteer militia units more powers, including the right to detain offenders without police involvement and the authority to use handcuffs, pepper spray and stun guns. According to Vladislav Yudin, who heads the Dolgoprudny administration and is one of the people behind the proposal, stated that militiamen can always respond to calls quickly, unlike law enforcement. Yudin has mustered a volunteer militia unit from former law enforcement officers, military personnel and other combat veterans. It was officially registered in 2022 and currently has 21 members. Officials plan to extend this experience to other districts in the region.

Kursk Mayor Igor Kutsak has invited residents to take care of basements, designated as bomb shelters, on their own. This statement was made in response to a city resident who complained during a live television broadcast that, due to the inaction of property management companies, the basements were in poor conditions and, as a result, residents had nowhere to shelter in case of danger.

Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising

In Russia’s constituent Republic of Mordovia, authorities have stripped Royal Fizuli ogly Abbas of Russian citizenship for refusing to register for military service and allegedly inciting others to do the same. Born in Azerbaijan, Abbas acquired Russian citizenship five years ago. He now faces deportation, after the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Mordovia confiscated his national and international passports. This is the first case of a citizenship being revoked in Mordovia.

Banners have recently appeared in the city of Ivanovo, advertising contract-based military service and promising potential volunteer fighters an annual income of 3 million rubles [$34,900], including a sign-up bonus of 395,000 rubles [$4,600] and a monthly salary of 204,000 rubles [$2,370]. Similar advertisements highlighting annual income upon signing a contract were previously noticed in Moscow and the Leningrad region.

Mobilized Soldiers, Volunteer Fighters and Contract Soldiers

The list of mobilized soldiers killed in the war has been updated to include Viktor Berkin from Russia’s constituent Republic of Khakassia, as well as Dmitry Samsonov, Mars Salakhov and Pavel Savichev from Russia’s constituent Republic of Tatarstan.

In the town of Novouralsk, Sverdlovsk region, the family of 44-year-old soldier Oleg Smirnov, who died in the war zone under mysterious circumstances, has been trying to determine the cause of his death for more than six months. The death certificate lists asphyxia and hanging as the cause of death, but the family does not believe he committed suicide. The results of the examination conducted in Donetsk, which mentioned the size of Smirnov’s spleen, are not deemed trustworthy by his family, as the organ in question was removed almost 20 years ago. Upon opening Smirnov’s coffin, the family discovered no marks of hanging on his body but found a serious wound of unknown origin on his side. Smirnov’s family emphasizes that he was cheerful and had volunteered to go to war. A fellow soldier told the family that Smirnov had conflicts in his military unit. Suspecting that he might have been killed, the family has contacted the Main Military Medical Directorate, which is currently conducting an investigation.

Soldiers of the 132nd Motorized Rifle Brigade recorded a video address in which they complained about the complete indifference of the command toward the personnel. They reported that men who had been taken prisoner or wounded were discharged from the hospital without receiving proper medical care and, instead of undergoing a military medical board despite having a range of illnesses, were sent to forward positions to participate in assaults.

According to the Pepel [Ashes] Telegram channel, nine convicts who had signed contracts with the Ministry of Defense escaped from a training ground in the Belgorod region. A notice sent to police stations in Shebekino and published by the channel reported that six convicts escaped on July 26, and another three the following day. Two of the deserters were imprisoned for murder, three for causing grievous bodily harm, one for unlawful confinement and the rest for lesser offenses. Pepel has published the names of the escapees. It is believed that the convicts might be near Belgorod or Shebekino.

According to the Astra Telegram channel, Yevgeny Zarubin, a soldier of the Storm unit of the 138th Motorized Rifle Brigade, who gained attention after posting an emotional video about fighting near Vovchansk, has deserted. Zarubin was training and leading both convicts and mobilized soldiers who had violated discipline into assaults. He has been wanted for going AWOL since July 28. According to Zarubin's commander in an interview with journalists, he is being searched for in the Kursk region and is not armed.

Blogger Irina Soroka managed to rescue her wounded volunteer fighter husband from a frontline detention pit. In 2022, 37-year-old Andrey Marchenkov signed a contract with the Wagner Group and, in August 2023, transitioned to a contract with the Ministry of Defense, rising to the rank of platoon commander in the 11th Tank Regiment. In July 2024, Marchenkov was sent on a combat mission where many of his fellow soldiers were killed or wounded, and he himself suffered a concussion. However, following an order of his commander, he and a fellow soldier were placed in a pit for "disobeying orders" after they refused to participate in a repeated "meat assault." While in the pit, they were denied medical assistance, washing facilities and food. Upon learning of this situation, Marchenkov's wife set out to find him. She managed to arrange a meeting and subsequently organized his escape. According to Soroka, her husband is now receiving treatment in a hospital where doctors have diagnosed him with hearing and vision problems. After his recovery, he plans to return to the frontline.

Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents

An unidentified man in military uniform attempted to set fire to a café in the town of Revda, Sverdlovsk region, after becoming displeased with one of the dishes. This led to an argument with the staff, and security had to remove him from the premises. The man then called the police, claiming that a "participant of the special military operation was being denied entry to the café." While waiting for the police to arrive, he bought a canister of gasoline and returned with the intention of setting the café on fire. Security managed to stop him just in time. He was taken to the police station, and later, military personnel confirmed that he was indeed a participant in the war and took him into custody.

Former Wagner Group mercenary Oleg Mullayanov has been sentenced to nine years in prison for attempting to sell drugs. In July 2023, Mullayanov arranged to work as a "courier" and retrieved 35 packets of mephedrone from a stash. Shortly afterward, he was apprehended by officers from Rosgvardia [the Russian National Guard]. The court considered Mullayanov's participation in the war, his medals and a positive assessment for his involvement in combat as mitigating factors. According to the Kavkaz.Realii [Caucasus.Realities, part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] media outlet, Mullayanov had previously been convicted twice on drug charges and once for car theft. He had joined the war effort from a penal colony.

A court in Rostov-on-Don has sentenced Andrey Zheludkov, a former Wagner Group mercenary, to four years in a penal colony and a fine of 333,000 rubles [$3,880] for an assault that resulted in the victim's death. The court considered Zheludkov's positive character reference and combat awards as mitigating factors.

In Russia’s constituent Republic of Dagestan, police officers killed 48-year-old Ukraine war participant Akhmed Dzhabrailov. Dzhabrailov was detained on July 9 following complaints from local residents. According to them, he had climbed onto a house roof in a state of delirium, "running around with a knife in an inadequate state," not recognizing his parents and behaving aggressively. During the detention, Dzhabrailov resisted. The Sapa media outlet reported that before participating in the war, Dzhabrailov had several convictions and used drugs. Recently, Dagestan public figure Shamil Khadulaev published CCTV footage from the police station showing law enforcement officers assaulting Dzhabrailov, using a stun gun, stepping on his legs and pressing a knee on his neck until he stopped showing signs of life.

Vladimir Arsenyev, the 74-year-old head of the Volna Central Scientific Research Institute, attempted self-immolation on Red Square. The fire was extinguished, and he suffered minor burns. According to the Kremlin-aligned news outlet Mash, Arsenyev was suspected in 2023 of deliberately sabotaging deliveries as part of a state defense order for the needs of the "special military operation," but no violations were ultimately found. Vazhnyye Istorii [IStories, independent Russian investigative media outlet] has noted that the Rostec state corporation filed a lawsuit against the institute. According to prosecutors, he stole documentation for another enterprise's developments. However, the Federal Security Service (FSB) found no violations in the institute's work.

Ruslan Sidiki, who, according to investigators, detonated railway tracks under a freight train and attacked a military airfield with a drone carrying explosives, was charged with nine articles of the criminal code. These charges include training for the purpose of engaging in terrorist activities, participation in an act of terror, an attempt at another act of terror and preparation for further attacks. Sidiki was detained at Vnukovo airport at the end of November 2023.

Assistance

In Siberia, volunteers started collecting body bags, but after the effort was publicized on social media and in the press, local authorities strongly requested that they be removed from the list of necessary items.

Children

Authorities in the Magadan region have reported sending 20 children from the Podvig [Feat] patriotic club to training sessions at the 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade base. During these sessions, the children will be taught to shoot from assault rifles and machine guns.

In a school of the Khanty-Mansi autonomous region–Yugra [Russia's federal subject], a play titled "Not the 43rd..." is planned, focusing on the experiences of teachers who volunteered for the war with Ukraine. The play is dedicated to their stories. The authors have applied for a grant of 1.2 million rubles [$14,000] to support the production.

The head of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education has proposed introducing mandatory service after graduation for medical and education students, including in occupied territories.

Miscellaneous

The Stavropol region has been recognized for the seventh time as the best in preparing citizens for military service and conscription. Vice Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyansky awarded the vice mayor of the city with the MoD pennant for first place in the competition among regions. Honorary diplomas from the MoD were also received by district heads, military commissars and representatives of educational institutions in the region.

Longreads

Journalists from TV Rain [independent Russian television channel] have published a study on war participants who are becoming the "new elite" of Russia. TV Rain, along with journalist Pavel Kanygin and the Govorit NeMoskva [NonMoscow Is Speaking] Telegram channel, have also reported on those profiting from the war and their methods.