Mobilization in Russia for May 15-18, 2025 CIT Volunteer Summary
Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising
In Saratov, law enforcement officers conducted a raid to identify former migrants who had obtained Russian citizenship but had failed to register for military service. According to the military investigation department, officers checked over 100 car enthusiasts and issued draft notices to more than 60 individuals among them to register for military service. The officers also encouraged those detained to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense. Reports indicate that officers did not check native-born Russians, and that the raids will continue due to their "preventive effect."
Mobilized Soldiers, Volunteer Fighters and Contract Soldiers
Based on open sources, BBC News Russian and Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet], together with volunteers, have verified the names of 108,608 Russian fighters killed since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Among these, 12,141 were mobilized soldiers. Since the last update two weeks ago, the list has grown by 1,863 names, which include 83 mobilized soldiers.
Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents
In the Kaluga region, a criminal case has been initiated against 19-year-old contract soldier Ivan S., who is suspected of raping his stepsister. According to investigators, in 2022, the soldier had assaulted the then 15-year-old girl at least twice. The girl was under the care of a psychiatrist and had been diagnosed with a developmental delay. The family is considered dysfunctional; there are three other children in the household, and the parents are divorced. In 2023, the mother was charged for failing to fulfill her parental duties. Ivan was assigned to a military unit in the Moscow region and is currently under arrest.
In the Russian-occupied part of the Luhansk region of Ukraine, a search is underway for Vladislav Zolot, a 23-year-old Russian serviceman, who has been reported by the mother of a ninth-grade girl from the Volgograd region. She stated that the serviceman had engaged in sexual relations with her daughter. A criminal case under the article concerning sexual relations with a person under the age of 16 has not been initiated.
In Kerch, a military Ural truck collided with a Volga passenger car, injuring the 18-year-old driver of the Volga.
Two minors from Novosibirsk are suspected of attempting to set fire to a piece of transportation infrastructure. The teenagers allegedly tried to commit arson for money, but no fire ultimately broke out. They have been detained on charges of attempting to commit an act of terror. One suspect was placed in a pre-trial detention center, while the other was put under house arrest.
A military court in Moscow has sentenced 48-year-old Belgorod resident Yury Yaroshenko to 16 years in a maximum security penal colony on charges of treason; attempting to participate in the activities of a terrorist organization; preparing to commit sabotage using poisonous substances; planning to commit a terrorist attack; and the illegal acquisition, transfer, storage, transportation and possession of explosive devices. According to investigators, between January and March 2024, Yaroshenko made contact with the Russian Volunteer Corps and personnel from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. He allegedly provided information about the locations of Russian air defense systems and the movement routes of Russian Armed Forces personnel. He also reportedly planned to detonate a grenade in an area crowded with Russian soldiers and to poison food intended for Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
Polina Kostikova, a 21-year-old first-year student at the State University of Education, who is accused of involvement with the Azov Brigade and the Russian Volunteer Corps, escaped from house arrest, which had been imposed following her detention in early March 2025. At the time, she was charged with participation in a terrorist organization. According to investigators, in 2022, while in Turkey, she joined the Azov Brigade. Later, she also began assisting the Russian Volunteer Corps with recruitment and fundraising. In June 2024, Kostikova returned to Russia, where, according to investigators, she continued online recruitment for the Russian Volunteer Corps. According to investigators, on May 15, she left her apartment without permission and "evaded the supervision of the penal inspection service, intending to cross the state border between Russia and Georgia." She was detained by traffic police officers in the Pushkino area while traveling by taxi. Traffic police officers detained her in the Pushkino area while she was traveling by taxi. In court, Kostikova confirmed that she had ordered a taxi but could not explain her destination. On May 16, investigators requested that she be placed in custody, and the court granted the request.
Ukrainian soldiers Dmytro Yaremov and Anton Borimsky were sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges of committing an act of terror. According to investigators, in October 2024, during the Armed Forces of Ukraine's offensive in the Kursk region, Yaremov fired at Russian soldiers and civilians and participated in the blockade of the Novyi Put settlement. Borimsky was charged with shooting and obstructing the evacuation of residents of several villages in the Glushkovsky and Korenevsky districts. The Investigative Committee did not specify which court heard the case or when the servicemen were detained.
Children
In Udmurtia [Russia's constituent republic], a court reinstated the parental rights of a man who fought in the war against Ukraine, stating that he "realized his mistakes" at the frontline. Before participating in the war, the man was an alcoholic and drug addict, which led to the loss of his parental rights and his child being sent to a Juvenile Rehabilitation Center. He fought as part of the Wagner Group, where, according to the court, he came to realize his mistakes. After participating in the war, the man applied to the court to restore his parental rights. The man's name is concealed on the court's website. A representative of the social welfare agency noted that the circumstances that led to the loss of the man's parental rights have been resolved. According to court representatives, the daughter of the former mercenary asked the court to send her to live with her father.
On May 15, the Altai Regional Children’s Library unveiled the "Military Alphabet." Each letter depicts military gear, accompanied by a description and a QR code linking to a related video. The alphabet targets children up to the age of 7 or 8.
Assistance
The authorities in Kovrov have refused to provide a local resident, who participated in the war with Ukraine, with the promised plot of land. Although the man submitted an application, local authorities failed to offer him the land within the six-month period required by law. To ensure the serviceman could claim his entitlement, the prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit.
Miscellaneous
A spiritual seminary in Yekaterinburg will introduce a master’s program to train military chaplains. Titled "Training Military Clergy and Cooperation with the Armed Forces," it will be the second program of its kind in Russia, following the Don Spiritual Seminary's program, which opened in 2023. Officials have not yet revealed the launch date or course details.
The Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), has restricted access to demographic data. The agency no longer publishes regional birth and death statistics. Only a single national summary table remains available, lacking the regional breakdowns that once allowed the public to track how specific areas responded to crises and initiatives.
Longreads
Novaya Gazeta [independent Russian newspaper] tells the story of Konstantin Lukyanchenko, a Pension Fund employee who was mobilized in September 2022 and spent a year and four months on the frontline. He subsequently refused to return to the army. After an unsuccessful attempt to obtain sick leave, he was accused of disobeying orders and sentenced to two and a half years in a penal settlement.
Mediazona publishes the story of Sergeant Amir Rakhimov, who deserted by walking away from the assault and is now awaiting asylum in Germany.
Novaya Gazeta Europe [European edition of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta] prepared a report on the emergency conditions at the school in the village of Vertep in Komi [Russia's constituent republic]. While parents complained about a leaking roof and dilapidated building, which had not seen major repairs since its construction in 1933, the institution was collecting donations for Russian soldiers.
The Insider [independent Russian investigative media outlet] reports on the establishment of a billion-dollar drone production in Russia using Chinese components since the start of the war. Startups have attracted over 200 billion rubles [$2 billion] in investments and generate annual revenues of at least 130 billion rubles [$1.3 billion].
The Glasnaya Telegram channel tells the story of a mother seeking justice for her 17-year-old son, who was murdered three years ago. His killer, sentenced to 19 years in prison, disappeared from a penal colony to participate in the war as part of the Wagner Group and according to the Federal Penitentiary Service received a pardon from Vladimir Putin. The mother is now trying to locate her son’s killer.