Mobilization in Russia for June 24-26, 2025 CIT Volunteer Summary
Authorities and Legislation
Vladimir Putin signed a decree amending the Disciplinary Charter and the Charter of the Military Police, authorizing commanders to detain service members for up to 30 days without a court order during a period of martial law. First mentioned in March, the measure applies to personnel suspected of committing a grave or especially grave crime. Lawmakers laid the groundwork for these amendments in 2024 when they first introduced the right to detain individuals for 30 days without a judicial decision into the Criminal Procedure Code.
Additionally, Putin signed a decree that reduces the scope of classified information accessible to government ministries. The decree removes the Ministry of Internal Affairs' access to information concerning operational activities around mobilization and individuals who confidentially cooperate with counter-terrorism agencies. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economic Development loses its access to data related to the quantity and combat readiness of troops, the import and export of armaments and military-technical assistance provided to other nations.
Army Recruitment
Authorities in the Kemerovo region increased the regional component of the sign-up bonus for contract soldiers to 1.5 million rubles [$19,100], a significant rise from the 800,000 rubles [$10,200] established nearly a year ago. When combined with the federal component, the total bonus for these soldiers will now reach 1.9 million rubles [$24,300].
In the Perm region [Russia’s federal subject], several municipalities have increased the sign-up bonus for signing a military contract. In the city of Berezniki, the bonus has risen from 150,000 rubles [$1,910] to 250,000 rubles [$3,190]. In the Chaykovsky district, recruits will receive 150,000 rubles [$1,910]. Previously, four other municipalities had also increased their contract-signing bonuses. Regional authorities are offering 1.5 million rubles [$19,100] for signing a contract. Including the bonus from the Ministry of Defense, the total amount a recruit can receive in the Perm region could reach up to 2.15 million rubles [$27,400].
In the city of Krasnodar, municipal payments to contract soldiers have also been increased from 250,000 rubles [$3,190] to 500,000 rubles [$6,380]. Taking into account the national payment and the regional bonus of 1.5 million rubles, those who sign a contract can receive up to 2.4 million rubles [$30,600].
The authorities of the Verkhneyaushevsky village council in the Fyodorovsky district of Bashkortostan [Russia's constituent republic] will begin paying 350,000 rubles [$4,470] to district residents who sign a contract with the MoD to participate in the war. The authorities of the Novokainlykovo village council in the Krasnokamsky district introduced a payment of 100,000 rubles [$1,280] to those who "assist in recruiting" new contract soldiers.
A court in the city of Novosibirsk released city council deputy Igor Ukraintsev from pre-trial detention and suspended the criminal case against him. The release and suspension were requested by the draft office, as Ukraintsev signed a contract with the MoD and plans to go to war. Ukraintsev was arrested in May 2024 in a bribery case involving 3 million rubles [$38,300]. According to investigators, he had been regularly receiving money for lobbying on behalf of a developer.
In the Rostov region, a mother of two from the village of Tselina, who is facing a criminal fraud case for taking out a microloan in a relative’s name, was offered the option to sign a contract with the MoD and go to war in exchange for having the case dropped. The woman refused.
In the city of Tyumen, law enforcement officers conducted a raid in the city center searching for draft dodgers. Police and draft office staff stopped young men and asked them to present any form of identification. During the raid, around ten men were served draft notices.
Mobilized Soldiers, Contract Soldiers and Conscripts
Russia and Ukraine have announced another POW exchange. The number of soldiers exchanged was not disclosed, nor was it specified whether the exchange was equal. The previous exchange took place on June 20.
A war participant from Russia's constituent republic of Sakha (Yakutia), who was previously detained on suspicion of going AWOL and staged a hunger strike at a military detention center, has managed to secure a military medical board evaluation. It remains unclear whether he will be able to share the results with his lawyer, as phones are confiscated at the facility. No formal charges have been filed against him so far.
A soldier who lost half of his foot is being denied permission to return home. Aleksey, a 47-year-old from Moscow, signed a contract at the end of 2024 and was assigned to Company V of the 752nd Motorized Rifle Regiment, a unit that includes convicts. At the time of signing the contract, he was on probation. Just two weeks into his service, he was wounded. A military medical board declared him fit for limited duty, as he is missing four toes and several metatarsal bones on his left foot. Despite this, his command refuses to approve his discharge request, and he remains in a combat zone.
Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents
In Novosibirsk, authorities detained a previously convicted 39-year-old serviceman Radik Barnenko on theft and robbery charges. He is suspected of a series of apartment break-ins and thefts.
In Moscow, servicemen Zhargal Gomboev and Vladislav Sychev from the 11th Air Assault Brigade were detained on suspicion of assault. According to investigators, on the morning of June 21, they attacked a man, inflicted serious bodily injuries on him, and stole 50,000 rubles [$640] and a watch.
In the early hours of June 23 in the Kursk region, serviceman Trufanov threw a grenade into a cafe. There was no fire and no casualties. Police opened a criminal case for deliberate destruction or damage of property committed in a manner dangerous to the public.
Law enforcement officers detained war veteran Denis Khusainov on suspicion of murdering his elderly relatives—76-year-old Vladimir and 64-year-old Zifa Ryazanov. The elderly were killed by knife wounds to the neck and back. Almost two weeks later, their grandson, who is participating in the war in Ukraine, was detained in Perm. Khusainov faces murder charges.
In Udmurtia [Russia's constituent republic] on June 25, military deserter Yevgeny Kudelin opened fire on police officers and fled into the forest. About 100 law enforcement officers were sent to search for the serviceman. He was found in the forest and detained.
In Moscow, war veteran Abduzohid Toyirov from Uzbekistan was detained while on an international wanted list for mercenary charges.
In Sochi, authorities detained Igor Polushin, who fled from the frontline in winter 2023. The young man had been hiding for more than a year until June 24, when he came to police attention at Adler station. Polushin claims that the contract was signed without his knowledge while he was doing statutory military service. He also spoke about beatings, extortion and threats from command, after which he decided to flee.
Over three-plus years of war, Russian courts have received cases for refusal to serve against 20,662 people, of whom 17,721 have already received sentences, calculated Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet]. Most cases (18,159) are prosecuted for going AWOL, which provides for up to 10 years in a penal colony. 1,010 cases were opened for desertion and 1,369 cases for failing to execute orders. By spring 2025, military investigators and prosecutors reached peak numbers—about 1,000 cases are being transferred to courts across the country each month, while judges are issuing 700-800 sentences per month.
The Second Western District Military Court found three Ukrainian servicemen, Oleksandr Zahrebalnyi, Andriy Bakalov and Oleksandr Hryhoriev, guilty of an act of terror committed in a group in conspiracy. Zahrebalnyi and Hryhoriev were sentenced to 15 years each in a maximum security penal colony, while Bakalov received 16 years. According to the prosecution, in October 2024, the servicemen took positions near the village of Novy Put in the Glushkovsky district of the Kursk region. The following day, all three were captured.
According to a data analysis by Mediazona, starting from November 2024, judges of the Second Western District Military Court have handed down sentences to 184 Ukrainian servicemen captured in the Kursk region. Every defendant faces the identical charge: committing an act of terror in a group leading to grave consequences. Since November 2024, the court has received 159 such cases, with 267 individuals standing trial in them.
A court in Saint Petersburg remanded a 24-year-old woman from Moscow to a pre-trial detention center, accusing her of an attempted act of terror and possession of explosives. She allegedly tried to install an improvised explosive device (IED) on the car of the head of the department at a Saint Petersburg IT company that develops unmanned aerial systems.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) reported shooting down two men in the Moscow region, described as "accomplices of Ukrainian intelligence services," who allegedly were preparing an act of terror against one of the Russian military personnel. It is claimed that they retrieved a bomb from a dead drop near a community garden and offered armed resistance during their apprehension.
In the Sverdlovsk region, the Central District Military Court in Yekaterinburg is currently hearing a criminal case against Yury Blednykh, Maksim Polukarov and Dmitry Dementyev from Orenburg. They have been charged with preparing an act of terror and sabotage, and accused of setting fire to a mobile communication tower and planning to set fire to an Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifter at a military airfield. The accused were detained in early March 2024. According to them, they were carrying out tasks received from an unknown individual via a messenger.
A court in the Vladimir region has sentenced 50-year-old Roman Marukhin to one and a half years of probation for ramming his gasoline-soaked UAZ-3163 Patriot SUV into a fence and driving into the building of a former draft office on the evening of Dec. 25, 2024, after which he threw Molotov cocktails into the building. After his arrest, Marukhin stated that he had acted on the instructions of phone scammers. The man admitted guilt and compensated for the damage; he was tried for arson.
The Southern District Military Court has sentenced Ukrainian native Andriy Rybak to 13 years in prison for his involvement with the Aidar Battalion. According to investigators, in July 2024, Rybak voluntarily joined the Aidar Battalion and became an assistant to a grenade launcher operator. He fought in the Donetsk region, where he was captured on Nov. 25, 2024.
The Southern District Military Court has sentenced Mikhail Komkov, a resident of Novorossiysk, to 14 years in prison on charges of justifying terrorism and high treason. According to the prosecution, in early June 2024, Komkov allegedly made contact with Ukrainian intelligence and began photographing and filming military units in Novorossiysk, as well as identifying the location of Black Sea Fleet equipment and ship positions.
In Saint Petersburg, the court has ordered the pre-trial detention of Aleksandr Popov, who is accused of preparing to participate in a terrorist organization and joining an illegal armed group. According to investigators, Popov submitted an "application for membership" to the Russian Volunteer Corps but was detained.
Yaroslava Chumakova, a resident of Saint Petersburg, has also beenplaced in a pre-trial detention center on suspicion of cooperating with Ukrainian intelligence services. A case has been initiated against her for aiding terrorism. Chumakova allegedly assisted Ukraine’s intelligence services in collecting data on where Ministry of Defense employees reside and which vehicles are used by military personnel and their family members. The FSB claims this information was intended for use in terrorist attacks.
Law enforcement officers have alsodetaineda woman from Novorossiysk on suspicion of high treason. She allegedly transmitted information to Ukraine about the locations of Black Sea Fleet ships and air defense installations in exchange for payment. It is noted that she was employed on a civilian vessel operating in the ports of Novorossiysk and Sochi.
A court in Saint Petersburg sent Marat Gadzhiev, a resident of the Sakhalin region, to a pre-trial detention center until Aug. 14. He is accused of "confidential" cooperation with a foreign state. According to investigators, in February, Gadzhiev called the Norwegian Consulate General in Saint Petersburg and the embassy in Moscow. He said he wanted to contact the Norwegian military attaché to offer his assistance in modernizing military vehicles supplied to Ukraine by NATO countries.
In Yekaterinburg, officer Yevgeny Alakayev was sentenced to 18 years in prison on charges of treason and the unlawful acquisition of information constituting a state secret. The basis for the criminal prosecution of Alakayev, who worked at the MoD, was a photograph of a document containing information about the deaths of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh [a disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan]. He had sent the photo via Telegram to his mother and a friend—a priest named Konstantin Mironov—in order to share his grief over a fallen colleague.
Court in Perm region [Russia’s federal subject] sentenced photographer Grigory Skvortsov to 16 years in a maximum security penal colony on charges of treason. According to investigators, the photographer gave a book about Soviet bunkers titled "Secret Bunkers: Urban Special Fortifications of the 1930s–1960s" to an American journalist. The book is freely available for sale in stores. Skvortsov was arrested in November 2023.
Assistance
More than 130,000 people have returned from the war in Ukraine, according to Sergey Novikov, head of the Presidential Directorate for Public Projects. Many of those returning are under the age of 35, Novikov noted, calling on authorities to assist veterans with employment. He emphasized that jobs for "heroes of the special military operation" should be well-paid.
In the Sverdlovsk region, officials are planning to open a probation center for veterans who have committed crimes after returning from the war. Edgar Kargelis, acting deputy head of the Sverdlovsk branch of the Federal Penitentiary Service, said the facility is expected to open in Yekaterinburg by the end of 2025.
Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev announced that more than 800 participants in the war will represent the ruling United Russia [Putin’s ruling party] in elections at various levels on the country’s Single Voting Day.
Children
In the Sverdlovsk region, returning war participants are taking a course on public speaking. The group includes 30 servicemen, and veterans’ family members. The course consists of 16 hours of instruction. Starting this fall, graduates of the program will visit schools across the region to speak to students about the "goals and objectives of the special military operation," based on their personal experience.
In Saint Petersburg, 148 million rubles [$1.89 million] have been allocated to equip classrooms for a new subject: Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland. Nearly 400 schools will receive updated workshop spaces and educational materials. The list of 31 training items includes replicas of Kalashnikov assault rifles, Makarov pistols, grenades, as well as medical supplies.
Longreads
The Sibir.Realii [part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] online media outlet reported on how 37-year-old serviceman Anton Savchenko from Tyumen, who is blind in one eye, was forcibly sent to the frontline along with other disabled individuals as part of the 506th Motorized Rifle Regiment.
Vazhnyye Istorii [IStories, independent Russian investigative media outlet] compiled several examples of the conditions of military cemeteries and the problems encountered by relatives of the killed soldiers.
The Vyorstka media outlet interviewed parents of conscripts about how commanders coerce draftees into signing contracts with the MoD through threats, violence and deception.