Mobilization in Russia for May 6-8, 2025 CIT Volunteer Summary
Authorities and Legislation
Conscripts who financially support a child with a disability would be fully exempt from regular conscription and receive a military ID, if a bill introduced to the State Duma [lower house of Russia’s Federal Assembly] passes. The proposed amendment to the Military Conscription and Military Service Act would replace the current provision, which only grants a draft deferral that expires when the child turns three.
Vladimir Putin has signed a decree introducing additional support measures for the families of military personnel and "citizens serving in volunteer formations." The new provisions grant a free health resort voucher to one relative of any service member who suffers an injury (including a concussion or other trauma) or an illness requiring rehabilitation while on duty. This designated relative must accompany the service member during rehabilitation and may claim the voucher only once for each specific wound or illness.
Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising
Law enforcement officers conducted a raid in Tyumen on May 7, during which seven individuals who had failed to register for military service were issued draft notices. Reports indicate that since the beginning of the spring conscription campaign, 33 men who have recently acquired Russian citizenship have been called up for military duty.
Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents
A military court has sentenced Captain Ivan Yasyrev to four years in a penal colony for abuse of authority involving violence, after he assaulted a soldier so severely that the victim lost his spleen. The officer was also stripped of his military rank. In October 2024, shortly after being promoted to captain, Yasyrev, while intoxicated, began assaulting soldiers. A second incident occurred on Dec. 23. During a formation, one of Yasyrev’s subordinates was speaking with a fellow soldier. The captain reprimanded him, and later that day, on the way to the mess hall, scolded him "harshly" and punched him several times. The soldier experienced sharp abdominal pain and sought help from another serviceman, who brought him to Yasyrev. The captain then punched him in the stomach again. Only after this second assault was the soldier taken to the infirmary, where he was diagnosed with internal abdominal bleeding. Doctors had to remove his spleen.
The Baza Telegram channel reports that a local police station in the Moscow region was set on fire, allegedly by a 12-year-old schoolboy. According to the report, the boy was supposedly persuaded to commit the arson by phone scammers. Police officers were able to quickly extinguish the fire on their own and detained the suspected arsonist. There has been no official announcement about a criminal case being opened.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) announced it had prevented a "terrorist attack" in the occupied town of Kakhovka and detained three Ukrainian citizens. They have been charged with preparing an act of terror and the illegal trafficking of explosives. According to the FSB, all three were allegedly recruited in the fall of 2024 via Instagram and were passing the coordinates of Russian military equipment to their handlers. Law enforcement claims the detainees were planning to detonate an improvised explosive device near the T-34 Tank monument during a rally attended by representatives of the occupation authorities. The FSB also alleges that the men attempted to blow up a vehicle carrying Russian soldiers, but the attempt failed. Additionally, they reportedly planned the murder of an unnamed employee of the "administration of the Hola Prystan district."
A military court has sentenced Aleksandr Bogdanov to 18 years in prison after accusing him of involvement with Ukraine's Azov Brigade. He was tried on charges of participating in the activities of a terrorist organization, preparing an act of terror and possessing and attempting to manufacture explosives. According to law enforcement, in July 2023 Bogdanov began corresponding with members of what they call the "terrorist Ukrainian militarized nationalist formation Azov Brigade." He reportedly recorded and sent a video in which he pledged allegiance. The court’s statement says Bogdanov informed his contacts that he worked at a military-industrial enterprise in the Stavropol region and agreed to blow up a gas or transformer substation. In late September 2023, he allegedly acquired materials needed to produce explosives, and in early October, he was detained by law enforcement.
In Moscow, a 50-year-old taxi driver, Vladimir S., has been charged with treason. He was detained in mid-March of this year and given several consecutive administrative arrests on charges of petty hooliganism, using obscene language in public and disobeying police. On April 30, he was charged with treason and arrested under criminal law. The specific allegations against him remain unknown. The Ostorozhno, Novosti [Beware the News] Telegram channel discovered that the man was married to a woman from the city of Kryvyi Rih. They lived together in Moscow, but after the war began, the taxi driver's wife left Russia.
Children
Since May 1, at least 150 military glory museums dedicated to World War II veterans and participants in the war with Ukraine have been opened in kindergartens—an increase of nearly 8 to 10 times compared to the same period in 2024 and 2023. Reports have been published by kindergartens in at least 53 regions of Russia located across all federal districts. The Penza region leads with 11, followed by the Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Sverdlovsk regions, each with eight. In some cases, a "museum" consists of a simple "army suitcase" with themed items; in others, it involves dedicated rooms with display cases exhibiting military paraphernalia. In some kindergartens, World War II symbols and memorabilia are displayed alongside exhibits related to the war in Ukraine—such as portraits of fighters in the "special military operation," letters to the front, and various war-related artifacts. Notably, Kindergarten No. 386 in Nizhny Novgorod opened a museum dedicated exclusively to the "special military operation."
In the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol, kindergartens held events in honor of May 9, with posts about the celebrations appearing in most official groups of the city's state kindergartens. At kindergarten No. 117, for example, children performed a song that includes the lyric "the shadow of war has long disappeared," while at kindergarten No. 114, they danced to a song about the desire to "serve their Motherland." At kindergarten No. 150 in Mariupol, children were made to march under the guidance of their instructor.
In Cheboksary, the capital of Russia's constituent Republic of Chuvashia, preschoolers and members of the Young Army [pro-Kremlin youth organization] marched through the city center on May 8. The children were organized into groups representing different military branches, and after the march, they assembled to form the number 80, marking 80 years since Germany’s surrender in 1945. The parade began with an opening ceremony led by Natalia Nikolaeva, wife of the head of Chuvashia and the chairwoman of the Union of Women of the republic, accompanied by local officials.
Miscellaneous
A former participant in the war against Ukraine, 34-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Yury Abaev, who went through the "Time of Heroes" personnel program, has been appointed Minister of Labor and Social Development of North Ossetia–Alania [Russia's constituent republic].In 2021, he took part in combat in Syria, and a year later, he joined the invasion of Ukraine, where he rose to the rank of Deputy Commander of the 70th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment and was awarded the title of "Hero of Russia." According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense Main Intelligence Directorate, Abaev and three of his fellow soldiers allegedly participated in the execution of four Ukrainian prisoners of war in May 2024 near Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region. Evidence of their involvement comes from intercepted radio communications, during which "one of the Russian assault company commanders orders his subordinates to execute the Ukrainian soldiers." According to the "Time of Heroes" program, 40 military personnel who completed the training have since been assigned new positions.
A poll conducted by the Levada Center shows that the number of supporters of peace talks in Russia has reached its highest level since September 2022, with 61% in favor. Opposition to negotiations has declined from 44% to 30%. The most peace-oriented groups are women and young people aged 18 to 39, with 68% and 70% respectively supporting a peace agreement.
Amid threats of a large-scale UAV raid during the Victory Day parade in Moscow, public utility workers were forced to work overtime and were issued binoculars to monitor the skies for drones. However, according to a source from a state-funded institution, they were not given instructions on what to do if a UAV was detected. Reports also indicate that joint patrols of utility workers and police were reinforced in the eastern part of the capital.
Over the three years of the war in Ukraine, Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region have purchased more than 17,000 medals and award badges for participants of the "special military operation" at a cost of over 16 million rubles [$197,900]. Russia's constituent Republic of Buryatia ranks second in terms of procurement volume, having bought around 10,000 medals for 6.2 million rubles [$76,700]. Russia's constituent Republic of Adygea is third, with 1,500 badges purchased for 3 million rubles [$37,100]. Russia's constituent Republic of Tyva is also among the top regions, with 2,190 medals for 572,000 rubles [$6,870], followed by the Samara region (1,500 medals for 790,000 rubles [$9,490]), Primorsky region (1,427 medals for 1.2 million rubles [$14,415]) and the Penza region (343 medals for 1.5 million rubles [$18,020]).
Longreads
The Sibir.Realii online media outlet [part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] has published a piece detailing how human traffickers profit from people in dire situations, thereby helping draft offices meet their military contract quotas.
The Regional Aspect Telegram channel recounts stories of individuals who suffered injuries or death in accidents involving military vehicles and traffic rules violations by soldiers. Relatives of the victims have been unsuccessful in seeking justice.
The 7x7-Gorizontalnaya Rossiya [Horizontal Russia] news outlet describes how Russian authorities continue to glorify wartime events despite growing public indifference.
The Vyorstka media outlet has prepared an article discussing how Russian officials equate the heroism of World War II veterans with the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine—an effort that influences schools, kindergartens and public events.