Mobilization in Russia for June 11-13, 2024 CIT Volunteer Summary

Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising

Several former Sri Lankan soldiers who managed to desert and return home after taking part in the invasion of Ukraine told France24 that they had been promised normal jobs, high salaries, benefits and Russian citizenship. Instead, they were sent to the frontline upon arrival in the country. The State Minister of Foreign Affairs reported that around 455 Sri Lankans were deceived in this manner. According to authorities, 37 have been wounded and another 10 to 12 are held captive in Ukraine. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense has established a special division to gather information about citizens recruited to fight in the war and assist the families of those affected by recruiters’ actions. Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles stated that the government views the recruitment of its citizens as human trafficking and urges military personnel not to fall for promises of high earnings.

Authorities set up tents to recruit people for contract military service during the mass celebrations of Russia Day on June 12. These tents were noticed across the country, including in the cities of Cheboksary, Chita, Tver and Kaliningrad.

In Nizhny Novgorod, authorities will give 200,000 ruble [$2,250] vouchers to city residents who conclude a contract with the Ministry of Defense to fight in the war against Ukraine. The vouchers can be used for the purchase of an apartment in the city’s new real-estate developments. Starting from June 12, all residents who sign a contract will receive these vouchers. Earlier, city authorities had introduced a sign-up bonus for enlisting, raising the total value of local, regional and federal payments to 1 million rubles [$11,200].

Governor of the Chelyabinsk region Alexey Teksler has announced plans to increase the sign-up bonus for individuals who sign a contract with the Russian MoD to 305,000 rubles [$3,420]. This payment has already been raised from 75,000 [$854] to 225,000 rubles [$2,530].

Mobilized Soldiers, Volunteer Fighters and Contract Soldiers

The list of mobilized soldiers killed in the war has been updated to include Anton Ivanov from the Volgograd region, Vitaly Semkov from the Perm region [Russia’s federal subject], Sergey Korchagin from Russia’s constituent Republic of Chuvashia, as well as Vladimir Datsko, Yury Dorozhkin, Aleksey Polyansky and Mikhail Nayfeld from the Krasnodar region.

Among those killed in the war, Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet] has discovered Viktor Valavin, a former employee of the Federal Penitentiary Service who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbery with violence. In September 2020, Valavin and his accomplice were detained in connection with an assault of a centenarian veteran of the Great Patriotic War. The Investigative Committee noted that the attackers evaded capture for two months due to their prior knowledge from working in the Federal Penitentiary Service, allowing them to commit the crime without leaving traces. In October 2022, Valavin was recruited from a penal colony into the Wagner Group, and four months later, he was killed on the frontline.

It has also been reported that 18-year-old Nikita Nikitin from the Irkutsk region was killed in the war. Born on June 28, 2005, Nikitin signed a contract with the Russian MoD immediately after finishing high school. He died under artillery fire in early February. The Lyudi Baikala [People of Baikal] independent media outlet has noted that he is the youngest known military casualty from Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. Nikitin's aunt, who was his guardian until he came of age, stated that neither she nor the deceased's mother, who had been stripped of parental rights, are eligible for death gratuity payments from the state, according to a draft officer. Previously, Mediazona reported on the funeral of 18-year-old Danila Ermolenko, who was born in 2006 and became the youngest known participant killed in the war.

Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents

A court in Crimea has sentenced Senior Sergeant Dmitry Chochumakov to 11 years in a maximum security penal colony for the murder of a subordinate. In December of last year, Chochumakov, the deputy commander of a motorized rifle platoon, was intoxicated when he called soldiers on duty to check the quality of communication. One of them did not answer his call. Chochumakov then went to the soldier's dugout, where a conflict ensued, resulting in Chochumakov shooting the subordinate with an assault rifle. In court, he pleaded guilty to the charges and expressed remorse.

The body of a 26-year-old soldier was found at a MoD training ground. He had previously volunteered and signed a contract, joining the "Stalingrad Battalion." Preliminary data suggest that the death may have resulted from mechanical asphyxia. In October 2023, Vazhnyye Istorii [IStories, an independent Russian investigative media outlet] and CIT discovered torture "pits" for punishing soldiers at two Russian training grounds, one of which is located in the Volgograd region. A source who underwent training there reported that one of his fellow soldiers died after being placed in such a "pit."

On June 11 in the town of Shebekino, Belgorod region, Daniil Pervushin, a 20-year-old soldier from the 1st Motorized Rifle Regiment, threw a grenade at the feet of a 54-year-old man. The victim was sent to a hospital with multiple injuries, and Pervushin was detained.

On June 12 in the border village of Lyubechany, Bryansk region, servicemen opened fire on civilians. The incident allegedly occurred because a car with civilians did not stop at a checkpoint. The two people in the car were sent to a hospital.

In the Kaluga region, Andrey Dymovskikh, a 31-year-old soldier from the 128th Motorized Rifle Brigade who had gone AWOL, started shooting his automatic weapon on a road. According to investigators, Dymovskikh stopped a passing car on the Kozelsk-Optina Pustyn road and opened fire into the air and ground, with a ricochet injuring one of the passengers—a female icon painter. She sustained a minor injury to her thigh. Additionally, the shooter attempted to rob the passengers of another passing car. Dymovskikh was only detained the next morning. He was found with a Kalashnikov assault rifle and four magazines. A criminal case has been initiated against him for robbery with violence. According to the Astra Telegram channel, Dymovskikh had previously been convicted of theft and stealing or extortion of weapons. The Ostorozhno, Novosti [Beware the News] Telegram channel reported that in the summer of 2019, he was sentenced to five years in a maximum security penal colony and was supposed to be released only in August 2024. However, he was released earlier, likely for participating in the war.

In the city of Rostov-on-Don, the trial has begun for a military serviceman accused of executing fellow soldiers, going AWOL and purchasing drugs. On August 23, 2023, police detained 27-year-old Aleksandr Tkachenko, who had previously escaped from a hospital after treatment and was caught retrieving a drug stash. In October, Tkachenko fled again, this time heading to the Kherson region. According to prosecutors, a conflict arose there between Tkachenko and his fellow soldiers, who accused him of cowardice and going AWOL. A few hours later, Tkachenko invited them for a conversation, took an assault rifle and shot two men in front of witnesses before fleeing. One soldier died on the spot, while the other was injured but survived. Tkachenko was apprehended the next morning after the incident.

In the Southern District Military Court, the criminal case against Kherson resident Andrey Seryozhenko is set to begin. He is accused of committing an act of terror and illegal possession of ammunition. According to investigators, Seryozhenko is implicated in the attempted assassination of the so-called head of the "Federal Penitentiary Service in the Kherson region." If convicted, Seryozhenko faces up to 20 years in prison.

Maksim Durnykin, a resident of the Nizhny Novgorod region, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for an attempted terrorist attack. According to investigators, on Sept. 24, 2022, Durnykin threw two Molotov cocktails at the administration building in the town of Balakhna and at a local draft office.

In Novosibirsk, 36-year-old programmer Nina Slobodchikova has been sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony and one year of restricted freedom on charges of treason for transferring money to Ukraine. Slobodchikova was detained on March 4, 2023, in Moscow while "attempting to leave the country" on suspicion of financing the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Allegedly, the case against her was initiated because of a transfer of 5,000 rubles [$56] for charitable purposes. According to her friend, Slobodchikova has relatives living in Ukraine.

Yevgenia Shelkovnikova, a journalist from the Krasnoyarsk media outlet NGS24.RU, has been sentenced to three years of corrective labor on criminal charges of "using violence against a government official". The incident occurred shortly after the start of the "partial" mobilization on September 22, 2022, when a group of journalists was recording comments from visitors in the lobby of the draft office in Krasnoyarsk. Military commissar Viktor Nechiporenko approached Shelkovnikova and demanded that she accompany him, subsequently calling the police. Nechiporenko then filed a complaint against Shelkovnikova, accusing her of assault. The journalist maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings.

The 7x7—Gorizontalnaya Rossiya [Horizontal Russia] news outlet reported on the cases of five children whom the Russian state considers "terrorists." Since the beginning of the war, a total of 101 minors have been added to the Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation (Rosfinmonitoring) registry on terrorism charges.

Assistance

Vladimir Uyba, the head of Komi [Russia's constituent republic], has appealed to residents of the region to donate fishing nets for soldiers on the frontline. The nets are being used as protection against drones.

According to the Sever.Realii [part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] online media outlet, soldiers fighting in Ukraine have been given tickets for an 11-day cruise to the North Pole as gifts. The trip, funded through the budget under the Time of Heroes personnel program, included 83 participants. The cost of each ticket, as reported by the Govorit NeMoskva [NonMoscow Is Speaking] Telegram channel, is around 2 million rubles [$22,500].

Children and Educational System

Across Russia, celebrations were held in honor of Russia Day, with many events focusing on the war with Ukraine. In the Ivanovo region, children were sent to the streets to collect so-called humanitarian aid for soldiers. In the Novosibirsk region, a concert featured school children waving assault rifles on stage while wearing balaclavas. In Bashkortostan, children's bodies were arranged to spell out the word Russia. In Saint Petersburg, an event featured hearses displaying images of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other politicians. In Lipetsk, the slogan "For RuZZia" was written directly on children's foreheads.

On Russia Day, events were also held in kindergartens in the occupied city of Mariupol aimed at forming children's "ideas about Russia as their native country." The children were told about the state symbols of the Russian Federation and involved in drawing "patriotic" pictures.

In Belgorod, a shelter has been finally installed next to a playground following an appeal by children and their parents to the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Miscellaneous

Kirill Dzhavlakh, a "special military operation veteran", has been appointed deputy head of the Department of Domestic Policy in the administration of the Vologda region. Reports indicate that during the war, he served as part of a reconnaissance unit. Acting governor Filimonov appointed him to this position in accordance with the instructions of the president on promoting the participants of the "special military operation."

Participants of the Put Domoy [Way Home] movement supported the annual fundraiser in support of Russian political prisoners, titled "You Are Not Alone," held by independent Russian media on June 12.

The Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives has allocated 5.57 billion rubles [$62.54 million] to support patriotic projects across Russia. The recipients include regular participants in pro-war concerts and trusted associates of Putin.

Longreads

In recent months, courts in southern Russia and the North Caucasus have received more than a dozen civil lawsuits related to death gratuity payments for those killed in the war with Ukraine. The Kavkaz.Realii [Caucasus.Realities] media outlet reported on why Putin's five million rubles have become a point of contention among relatives.

The Lyudi Baikala publication interviewed Olga Anufrieva from Buryatia, the only woman who has publicly shared her story of giving birth after her husband's death in the war through in vitro fertilization. The article discusses why Olga feels obligated to have more children via IVF and how many "special operation widows" share the same aspiration.

The Veter [Wind] project has produced a film about a father of four who, due to poverty, signed a contract with the Russian MoD, went to war and was killed there.

The Sirena [Siren] Telegram channel has published a comprehensive analysis of violent crimes committed by the war participants upon their return from the frontline. According to the report, every sixth victim is another soldier. Additionally, the Bumaga [Paper] independent media outlet released a study on the connection between the war and the increase in violence among minors in Saint Petersburg.

In our previous summary, we mentioned 43-year-old soldier Stanislav Tsabiyev, who was accused of rape by two female residents of the village of Kraskino in the Primorsky region [Russia's federal subject]. According to the Sibir.Realii [part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] online media outlet, it has been discovered that there are additional victims. Law enforcement officers are providing cover for Tsabiyev, not only because of his participation in the war against Ukraine but also due to their involvement in his illegal business activities.