Mobilization in Russia for Nov. 1-3, 2024 CIT Volunteer Summary

Authorities and Legislation

Russia's government has introduced a bill into the State Duma [lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia], which would empower authorities to conceal information about their operations if martial law is declared. News of the Ministry of Justice's work on these amendments to martial law legislation surfaced several weeks ago. The proposed changes would grant the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General's Office, the Investigative Committee and various courts the authority to restrict public access to information regarding the actions of federal, regional and local authorities in areas under martial law. The bill's authors did not specify which types of data might be withheld. Legal experts, speaking with the Agentstvo [Agency] independent media outlet, believe that authorities could potentially withhold any information they choose.

Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising

On Nov. 1, law enforcement officers raided a marketplace's order processing warehouse in Chapayevsk, Samara region, targeting former migrants who had failed to register for military service. As a result of the operation, authorities added 20 men to the military rolls and charged them with misdemeanors.

In the Moscow region, authorities have revoked the Russian citizenship of three Central Asian natives, aged between 22 and 47, for failing to register for military service within the required timeframe after receiving their new passports. This action brings the total number of naturalized citizens who have lost their citizenship for the same reason to at least 18, according to reports.

In the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region [Russia's federal subject], Andrey Voronov, the former mayor of Novy Urengoy, has requested to be deployed to the war. Voronov, who was arrested in July 2024 on charges of accepting a large bribe, submitted an application to the Russian army's one-stop contract military recruitment facility. In his application, he stated that he had long wanted to go to the frontline but had been unable to leave due to work obligations.

Mobilized Soldiers, Volunteer Fighters and Contract Soldiers

In a recent video address, soldiers from the 1428th and 95th regiments reported that they were transferred from forward positions in the Kharkiv region to a military unit in the village of Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod region, under the pretext of undergoing a military medical examination. Upon arrival, however, the servicemen discovered that the real reason for their transfer was to form a new regiment for subsequent deployment to the frontline. Of the 22 soldiers, 17 are suffering from viral hepatitis C. According to the soldiers, under Putin's decree, individuals with socially significant diseases, including hepatitis C, are prohibited from participating in combat, as they endanger the health and lives of other soldiers. The soldiers refused to comply with the commander's orders and filed a complaint with the Military Prosecutor's Office. One of the authors of the video address, Aleksandr Boltunov, later published another video, this time from forward positions, reporting that the soldiers’ complaints had been ignored, that they had been threatened with execution by the command and that their pleas for help had gone unanswered. As punishment, the soldiers were placed in pits, handcuffed to trees and sent on missions with little chance of survival. Facing threats and neglect from their commanders, Boltunov tried to draw attention to the situation by attempting suicide, swallowing razor blades. He was taken to the medical battalion, where doctors concluded that he should be sent to the surgical ward. However, the command ignored this recommendation, and the next morning Boltunov was returned to the frontline.

On Oct. 31, a report on looting by Russian soldiers aired on television in the Kursk region. A resident of the Glushkovsky district described how her home was ransacked and her car stolen. She said that she had filed complaints with the police, the prosecutor's office and the president's office, but so far, only the police had responded. In a separate video, other locals reported that door locks had been broken on every house. The Pepel Kursk Telegram channel also published photos and videos showing looted Ozon and Wildberries [Russia's largest e-commerce marketplaces] pickup points, as well as an auto parts store in the village of Zvannoye in the Glushkovsky district. Previously, Kursk region Governor Aleksey Smirnov dismissed reports of looting as "planted rumors" by enemy intelligence services. His statement angered residents affected by the looting in border areas. Accounts of looting in these regions have persisted for several months.

Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents

In Bashkortostan [Russia's constituent republic], a 39-year-old war veteran recently released from a penal colony, Radik B., robbed an elderly man. According to sources from the Astra Telegram channel, in late April, Radik visited his 75-year-old neighbor, Zufar U., in the village of Verkhneitkulovo. Zufar had received his pension just a few days earlier. After the two men drank together, Radik left, and Zufar went to sleep. When he awoke, he found his bag containing all his documents and savings was missing, and a window frame had been pushed out. The bag, which held 50,000 rubles [$510], was later found in the veteran's home, where he admitted to the theft.

Moscow authorities have detained a 37-year-old Butovo resident accused of evading mobilization, according to the Baza Telegram channel. The man, who was flagged in a database as having fled from a military unit, was identified by surveillance cameras on Oct. 31. Military recruitment officials have taken him into custody, and an investigation is ongoing.

In Moscow, a 42-year-old welder was detained on suspicion of setting fire to three relay cabinets on the railway section between Plyushchevo and Veshnyaki on the morning of Nov. 2. As a result of the incident, more than 30 electric trains on the MCD-3 line were temporarily halted. According to law enforcement, the detainee stated that he had agreed to damage eight relay cabinets for financial compensation received through a messenger. A criminal case for an act of terror has been initiated against the welder. The day before, unknown individuals set fire to relay cabinets on the Lyubertsy-Perovo-1 section, which also caused train delays.

The Rostov Regional Court has sentenced Central Bank employee Elena Popova to 12 years of imprisonment on charges of treason for transferring 7,000 rubles [$72] to publicist Arkady Babchenko. According to the Pervy Otdel [First Department] human rights project, law enforcement officers arrested Popova three times on charges of hooliganism in September, after which she was accused of treason for the transfer to Babchenko made on Feb. 27, 2022, just a few days after the full-scale invasion began. The account was published by Babchenko himself, who is wanted in Russia and listed as a "terrorist and extremist" and a "foreign agent." A subsequent report on pro-Kremlin Ren TV claimed that the funds were intended for "financing the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

RIA Novosti [Russian state-owned news agency], citing a law enforcement source, reported the detention of a 27-year-old man in Moscow who, according to investigators, had corresponded with representatives of the Russian Volunteer Corps via Telegram. The man allegedly went to a draft office in northwest Moscow to conduct reconnaissance, draw up an exit plan, observe and take photos.

Assistance

During the previously announced "Patriots of the Urals" forum held in Verkhnyaya Pyshma, the presidential plenipotentiary envoy to the Urals Federal District and former field commander of the "DPR" Artyom Zhoga inspected stands showcasing the achievements of the "national military-industrial complex" and met with representatives of organizations providing financial and material support for the "special military operation."

The Krasnoyarsk state agency "Resource and Methodological Center for Social Protection" has purchased 20,000 New Year’s candy packages for the children of war veterans.

Children and Educational System

In Chekhov, Moscow region, a "Lesson of courage" was conducted for 7th and 8th-grade students by Dejan Berić, a "special military operation" veteran from Serbia. According to a school press release, he spoke to students about "honor, courage and bravery." Berić, who has fought alongside the self-proclaimed "DPR" and the "LPR" since 2014, is considered a primary recruiter of mercenaries from the Balkans. In January, he accused Russian soldiers of mistreating Serbian mercenaries, though his video address has since been removed.

In the Pskov region, an instructor from the propaganda center "Avangard" organized military laser tag games for children, aimed at preparing them to be "good soldiers." The children participated in a simulated battle experience.

The Sheredar Children's Health Center in the Petushinsky district of the Vladimir region will host a psychological and social rehabilitation camp from Nov. 13 to 21 for children and adolescents from the occupied regions of Ukraine.

Miscellaneous

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on French war correspondent Patrick Chauvel's investigation into the death of his friend, Ukrainian photographer Maks Levin, who was executed by Russian soldiers.