Mobilization in Russia for March 20–23, 2025 CIT Volunteer Summary

Authorities and Legislation

Lawmakers introduced bills to "prevent interference in Russia’s domestic politics" in the State Duma [lower house of Russia’s Federal Assembly]. Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced them last week. The legislation calls for prison terms of up to five years and possible confiscation of property for discrediting the Armed Forces or for urging sanctions against the country. It also mandates up to seven years of imprisonment and possible confiscation of property for what it describes as "self-serving assistance" to international organizations that exclude Russia—including the International Criminal Court—and to foreign state bodies. In addition, authorities plan to label individuals as "foreign agents" if they cooperate with "foreign organizations acting against Russia’s interests" or if they "involve citizens in gathering military-technical information" that could undermine Russia’s security.

Lawmakers also introduced a bill in the State Duma to grant multi-child families of fallen combat veterans’ priority access to housing, regardless of when they registered for the state program. The Voyennye Advokaty [Military Lawyers] Telegram channel notes that even if the bill passes, this right could remain purely theoretical, since housing queues remain commonplace, often lasting for years and hinging on numerous factors.

Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising

Law enforcement officers conducted a raid in central Saint Petersburg at one of the city’s largest markets and served draft notices to 33 men who had recently gained Russian citizenship but failed to register for military service.

Another raid took place in the Sosnovsky district of the Chelyabinsk region. Officers from the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Rosgvardia [the Russian National Guard], and the draft office carried out "screening operations in areas where foreign nationals commonly gather and reside." According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 28 men who had obtained Russian citizenship were issued draft notices for military registration.

The Oryol Regional Court released a report on the activities of the district courts and magistrates in the region for 2024. According to the court, since Jan. 1, 2025, 21 defendants have gone to war to avoid prosecution. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, a total of 62 residents of the Oryol region have taken advantage of this option. The court noted that the most common charges among those who left for war include fraud, theft, drug distribution, and making threats of violence.

Aleksandr Lyakh, the former deputy head of the prison hospital in Rostov-on-Don, was previously sentenced to seven and a half years in a penal colony for abusing his authority through violence and the use of special means in the torture of inmates. He has now signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense and has been deployed to war. According to witness testimony, from 2018 to 2020, staff at the psychiatric department of the regional prison hospital tortured prisoners deemed troublesome by the administration, with Lyakh overseeing these acts. More than 40 individuals were officially recognized as victims in the case. However, their civil lawsuits have now been suspended due to Lyakh's release.

Mobilized Soldiers, Contract Soldiers and Conscripts

Based on open sources, Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet] and BBC News Russian, together with volunteers, have verified the names of 99,113 Russian fighters killed in Ukraine. Over the past week, the list has grown by 1,119 soldiers. As noted by the BBC, the largest category of casualties at the moment is volunteer fighters, accounting for 24 percent of total losses. Russia's constituent Republic of Bashkortostan has suffered the most casualties of any Russian region; however, Russia's constituent Republic of Tyva has suffered the most casualties relative to its population density.

In the Leningrad region, another 18-year-old participant in the war with Ukraine was buried. Sergey Rybkin, born in October 2006, signed a contract with the MoD and was killed on March 2, 2025. The circumstances of his death were not specified.

Russian milblogger Roman Alyokhin went to the frontline but soon realized he had "made a mistake" and resigned after 23 days. He announced on Feb. 28 that he had signed a contract to serve in the Aid unit, which is affiliated with the Chechen special forces Akhmat unit. However, by March 21, Alyokhin stated that he had terminated the contract, and on March 22, he wrote that signing it had been a mistake. "The MoD simply corrected the mistake I made by signing the contract." It remains unclear how Alyokhin managed to break the contract with the MoD, as under Russian law, all contracts remain in force until the formal end of mobilization.

Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents

A court in the city of Ulan-Ude sentenced serviceman Dashinima Buyantuev to a three-year probation term in a case related to an attempted robbery with violence. According to the prosecution, the man grabbed a passing woman by the neck and tried to snatch her bag, which contained a phone, money, and a bank card. However, another woman intervened, pushing Buyantuev away from the victim.

In Bashkortostan [Russia’s constituent republic], a man who returned from the war repeatedly attacked neighbors and passersby with a knife. According to residents of an apartment building in the city of Sterlitamak, who spoke to the Ostorozhno, Novosti [Beware the News] Telegram channel, the man purchased an apartment there about a week and a half ago and "began terrorizing the entire neighborhood from day one." Residents had filed multiple complaints with the police, but law enforcement took no action. On March 22, the serviceman once again attacked a neighbor with a knife. This time, he was detained and is set to be handed over to the commandant's office.

Orthodox blogger and war participant Klaud Rommel has been charged with another episode of sexualized violence against a child. Rommel committed violent acts against an eight-year-old girl and raped her. This occurred between January 2021 and September 2022. In November 2024, Rommel was sent to a pre-trial detention center on charges of sexualized violence against an 11-year-old girl. Now, Rommel faces charges under articles related to sexual violence and rape.

War participant Andrey Ivanov was detained on extortion charges a month after conducting a "lesson of courage" at a school. On Feb. 18, the Combat Brotherhood [All-Russian public organization of veterans] branch held a patriotic event at a high school in the Leningrad region. According to the school’s report, the organization’s leader, Andrey Ivanov, discussed "possible scenarios during an attack or counterattack" and principles of criminal law with ninth-grade students. On March 21, Andrey Ivanov was detained—according to investigators, he demanded 170,000 rubles [$2,010] from his 18-year-old girlfriend. He allegedly threatened to publish her intimate photos and videos, physically assaulted her, and ultimately forced her to take out a loan and give him the money.

A court in Novosibirsk has arrested local resident Oleg Kochetov, accused of an act of terror. According to investigators, the man set fire to a Rosgvardia vehicle. The car was parked near the department of extradepartmental security of the National Guard troops in the Novosibirsk region.

In Stavropol, the FSB detained teenagers who set fire to the Combat Veterans' Union building in the city on March 2. Law enforcement officers claim that they acted "on orders from Ukraine." A criminal case has been initiated, and the arsonists face between 10 and 15 years of imprisonment. However, neither the specific charge under which the case was initiated nor their preventive measure is known.

Assistance

The Governor of Primorsky region [Russia's federal subject], Oleg Kozhemyako, introduced a new Heroes of Primorye career program to support war veterans with employment and help them reintegrate into civilian life. The program will also provide management training and offer veterans the opportunity to launch their own projects. Reports say that nearly 400 applications have reached the program’s organizing committee in its first few days.

In Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan, more than 1,300 war veterans from the war in Ukraine have signed up for the Batyrlar: Heroes of Tatarstan retraining program, which launched on Feb. 18. The first stage of the competition will take place on March 30, according to reports.

Children and Educational System

Alabuga Polytech College will hold a "patriotic and career-oriented gathering" titled "Heroes of Russia's Future." Students in grades 9–11 will learn about the college, participate in an obstacle course, and attend lectures on military-patriotic topics. The event is organized by the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, which produces Shahed-136 (Geran-2) loitering munition drones.

Teachers at Moscow Transport University are being asked to invite students to work on "security provision" on the Crimean Bridge. Faculty members have been requested to inform full-time students by March 24 about recruitment into a student squad of "transport security specialists" named Forpost, reports TV Rain [independent Russian television channel] journalist Valeria Ratnikova. Payment for a 24-hour shift starts at 8,000 rubles [$95], and both young men and women are being hired for the job.

Longreads

The Vyorstka media outlet released a piece about the abduction of "troubled" men in Ivanovo region to send them to war. The missing men were found in the same military unit in Leningrad region. Their relatives stated that men were abducted based on lists compiled by the settlement administration.

In another story, Novaya Gazeta Europe [European edition of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta] reported on war veterans working in Russian schools. According to their tally, at least 100 veterans have found jobs in Russian schools, while over 200 teachers are currently serving on the frontline.

Mediazona published a transcript of the last words of the Ukrainian prisoners of war accused of participation in the Azov Brigade. They talk about torture and the absurdity of the criminal cases.

Meduza [international Russian-language online media outlet] reported in detail about a new bill that would expand the rights of draft offices and allow conscription even a year after the decision of the draft board. The relevant law was recently passed in the first reading.

The Beda project and the Prizyv k Sovesti [Call to Conscience] human rights organization published a joint material on how the Russian authorities force citizens of the former USSR countries to sign a contract and participate in the war against Ukraine.