Mobilization in Russia for Nov. 15-17, 2024 CIT Volunteer Summary

Authorities and Legislation

Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs has proposed limiting the duration of Ukrainian citizens' stay in the country and restricting their ability to work without specific documentation. Officials argue that most Ukrainians show a "lack of interest in obtaining legal residency," creating conditions that "pose a threat to national and public security." The ministry suggests requiring Ukrainians residing in Russia to obtain temporary residence permits and secure work authorization through regional offices. If adopted, the proposal would require Ukrainian citizens to obtain these documents by March 31, 2025.

Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, Governor of the Samara region, has proposed appointing veterans of the war in Ukraine to serve as supervisors for municipal leaders in order to improve the effectiveness of local government. These supervisors are expected to be selected from the Time of Heroes personnel program and would be granted direct reporting authority to the governor on the performance of municipal administrations.

Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising

The Govorit NeMoskva [NonMoscow Is Speaking] Telegram channel has reported on the case of a student who received a draft notice two months ago. When the young man went to the draft office to present his study-related deferment papers, officials issued him a new draft notice, summoning him for military service six months later, immediately after his expected graduation. They also warned him that he would not be allowed to leave Russia during this time. Ivan Chuvilyaev, press secretary for the Idite Lesom! [Flee through the woods/Get lost you all] project, called the actions of the draft office unlawful.

Human rights advocates from the Idite Lesom! project have reported that police in southern Moscow have begun a door-knocking campaign in search of conscription-age men. According to the project’s information, even men with no ties to local enlistment offices are being detained.

Pro-war blogger Egor Guzenko, accused of assaulting a police officer, has been released from custody due to his deployment to the war in Ukraine, where he is reportedly expected to serve with an assault unit. On Oct. 10, the Baza Telegram channel reported that Guzenko was offered a contract to join assault troops immediately after his arrest. However, he initially declined, explaining that he was more needed "on the information front."

Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents

A homeless mercenary from the Wagner Group, Aleksandr Z., has been sentenced to eight years in a penal colony for negligent homicide. The conflict between Aleksandr and his drinking companions arose over the entrance to a building where they had been spending the night—the men demanded that the mercenary leave the premises.

A war participant who fired a shotgun at his opponent's house after an argument in the village of Anevka in the Orenburg region, has been convicted of hooliganism involving a weapon. The court fined him 400,000 rubles [$4,020]. On Aug. 21, the 49-year-old man, who had recently returned from the frontline as a volunteer fighter, accused a local resident of fraudulently acquiring his home. While intoxicated, he fired three shots at the house's windows. No one was injured, and the man was detained later that day.

Yevgeny Khokha, a resident of the Stavropol region, has been sentenced to seven and a half years in a maximum security penal colony for desertion, despite never having signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense. Previously convicted of theft, Khokha initially planned to join the war effort but ultimately decided against signing a contract with the MoD. According to his lawyer, Khokha submitted a report refusing to serve. The recruitment center chief's order to include him in the personnel list was rescinded. Khokha stated in court that another service member had signed the contract on his behalf, a claim later confirmed by handwriting analysis. However, the court dismissed both the expert's findings and the report of refusal to serve, convicting him of desertion.

In the city of Tyumen, another individual has been convicted of stealing property belonging to the MoD. Sergey B., a cadet at the Tyumen Higher Military Engineer Command School, was sentenced to two and a half years in a penal colony for aiding and abetting theft. Together with mobilized major Aleksandr, who had previously been sentenced to three years in a penal colony, and another cadet, Sergey K., Sergey B. smuggled 443 pairs of combat boots valued at 2.236 million rubles [$22,500] from their military unit. Sergey B. later sold the stolen footwear in the city of Nizhny Novgorod.

In the town of Mendeleyevsk in Russia’s constituent Republic of Tatarstan, unknown individuals have set fire to a relay cabinet on the railway. The Resistance of Free Russia Telegram channel posted a video of the arson on Nov. 15, claiming that it was "another act of resistance aimed at disrupting the Kremlin's military plans." No information about detentions has been reported at this time.

A court in Saint Petersburg has arrested 20-year-old Nikita Nikitin, a suspect accused of preparing an act of sabotage. According to the court, Nikitin planned to commit arson in exchange for a monetary reward. During the preparation, he filmed the area around the target object, as stated in the report. The young man was detained on Nov. 15 after being spotted by police near an electrical substation. It is claimed that his phone contained messages with detailed instructions on how to destroy the facility. Nikitin has been placed in custody for two months.

Assistance

Governor of the Primorsky region [Russia's federal subject] Oleg Kozhemyako has handed over 60 drones, manufactured in Vladivostok, to participants in the war with Ukraine.

A regional military medical board has been established in the city of Kurgan. Now, military personnel who previously had to travel to the cities of Yekaterinburg or Chelyabinsk for medical evaluations can undergo the process locally in Kurgan.

Children

An event named "Coin Week—Help Our Own!" was held at School No. 16 in the town of Timashevsk in the Krasnodar region, where children donated money to support the military. The funds raised were allocated towards the purchase of a chainsaw, a generator and gear for soldiers. Meanwhile, in Saint Petersburg, members of the Legislative Assembly have presented a laboratory for assembling unmanned aerial vehicles to Gymnasium No. 586 to commemorate its anniversary. According to a gymnasium employee, the teachers had hoped to receive furniture or a projector as a gift.

The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) [right-wing populist and ultranationalist political party] has announced the conclusion of the third season of the "school of war correspondents" for Russian youth. Leonid Slutsky, the party leader, described this as a unique opportunity for students from across the country to become war correspondents and gain valuable knowledge from top specialists in the field.

Longreads

The Okno [Window] project has reported the case of 42-year-old mobilized soldier Roman Ivanishin, a former dock worker from Sakhalin, who became the first person to face criminal charges for voluntarily surrendering to enemy forces.