Mobilization in Russia, Summary for November 16–17
The pravo.ru legal news portal reports that an interesting conclusion can be reached from the criminal case against the serviceman Aleksandr Leshkov known for the Patriot Park incident. The Odintsovo Garrison military court that sent Leshkov to pre-trial detention recognized as an aggravating circumstance the fact that the [alleged] crime occurred during the period of mobilization even though President Putin declared the mobilization over. Thus, the court recognized the mobilization as ongoing.
The Novosibirsk mayor Anatoly Lokot visited the quarters where the mobilized are housed at the Novosibirsk Higher Command Academy and spoke of what he saw: “The mobilized live under normal conditions and are supplied with all the essentials: hot meals, outfits, weapons.” He also promised to procure additional equipment according to a wishlist.
The Irkutsk Region governor Igor Kobsev visited the location in the Rostov Region where the conscripts from the Irkutsk Region were transferred. “I was genuinely happy to see everybody. I brought them warm greetings from their homeland. The wife of one of the mobilized organized a kind action at schools and kindergartens where children made drawings for the guys. By the way, my own daughter also participated,” said Kobsev, summarizing his visit.
In Vladimir, the Leninsky District court decided to block a petition against the mobilization that gathered almost 500 thousand signatures on Change.org. Earlier, that same court ordered the blocking of links to the Kazakh NUR.KZ website, the Vikinovosti (Wiki News) open platform, the RTVI publication, and Live Journal. The court opined that the petition site harms the interests of the Russian Federation.
A criminal investigation has been launched into a brawl among conscripts at the Leninsky Market in Omsk. Recall that the video showing drunk mobilized soldiers involved in a mass fight appeared already on November 6.
Relatives of the mobilized soldiers in Vladimir Region are once again demanding appropriate training for their loved ones who were dispatched to the front. After the publication Ostorozhno Novosti (“Caution! News”) reported on the situation with the 346th Regiment, the governor Aleksandr Avdeev invited representatives from the group who recorded the video address to an audience. The regional head promised to solve the situation and, indeed, the 6th Company was soon provided with food, humanitarian aid, and access to a bathhouse. However, the improvements didn’t touch another battalion where the mobilized kept being subjected to artillery fire armed only with machine guns. Relatives say that their men are not refusing to fight but request proper training and good weapons. Women demanded that the authorities solve the problems facing the soldiers.
Relatives of mobilized soldiers formed the Council of Mothers and Wives. They want peace negotiations to begin and their loved ones to be returned home. On November 14, they arrived at the headquarters of the Western Military District in St. Petersburg to convey their demands to military officials. None of the women were detained.
In the Moscow region, a volunteer Mikhail Neretin, 49, changed his mind about being sent to war. He now refuses to fight after "seeing the mess" in the Patriot Park [where training grounds for mobilized soldiers are set up], and Minister of Defense Shoigu talking to fake mobilized soldiers while the real ones were herded into a hangar. According to his sister, this was done to silence those dissatisfied with the situation.
Vocational school students from Dolgoprudny, Moscow region are sent to a training camp in the Patriot Park under the threat of not being allowed to defend their graduation papers. Students are afraid that participation in the training camp will be credited for military training and this will make it possible to mobilize them if necessary.
In Tyumen, a man with corneal erosion, complex astigmatism and contusion of the eye was called up to serve as a bomb disposal specialist. The man does not see well at arm's length, has photophobia, and cannot wear corrective lenses. At the same time, ophthalmologists confirmed that he is fit for service. The reason is that there is a shortage of conscripts in Tyumen.
Thanks to reports by mobilized soldiers and their loved ones, 8 detention centers for Russian refuseniks were found. Sirena media outlet published a map showing where these facilities are set up. Most of the prisons are located near the front line, they are often arranged in the basements of garrison headquarters or in former penal institutions. Two detention centers were closed after reports in the media. Usually, several dozen people are placed in such basements. However, ASTRA news outlet reported that about 300 Russians refuseniks are being held in custody in Zaitseve, Luhansk region. They are locked in the basement of a local community center.
The Ministry of Defense of Russia continues reporting that mobilized soldiers are undergoing combat training. So, in the Kaliningrad region, soldiers are being trained in squads and combat pairs. Draftees are being trained at an armor training area in Buryatia, where soldiers are improving their skills in driving tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. At the training ground of the Novosibirsk region, practical exercises are continuing in all disciplines of combat training: weapons practice, tactical and special training, special training, communication equipment, mine warfare, first aid and self-aid under attack, and others. And this is how mobilized soldiers of Chemical Warfare Units of the Airborne Forces are being trained at one of the training grounds in the rear of the “special operation”. During training, soldiers are drilling as part of a unit armed with Shmel rocket-propelled infantry flamethrowers. Near Kostroma, an artillery regiment, formed from mobilized men from the Yaroslavl region, is being trained. At another training ground in the rear of the “special operation”, training of draftees is being completed. Particular attention was paid to the training of quadcopter operators in Unmanned Aircraft Units of the Airborne Forces.
In Omsk, a new group of draftees was seen off. Sergei Shelest, the Mayor of Omsk, wished them good luck and noted that it “would not be easy” for them.
23,837 RUB [~390 USD]. This is the amount that is allocated by Penza military recruitment office for the funeral of each soldier who was killed in Ukraine. This was stated by Andrey Surkov, the Head of military recruitment office of the Penza region. Meanwhile, mourning rallies will not be organized in Buryatia. The State Leisure Center of Ulan-Ude has canceled the purchase of services of a host for "mourning rallies" - burials of 24 soldiers who were engaged in the "special military operation." Recall that previously such events were hosted by a clowness named Businka (“Little Bead”).
At the same time, reports of the death of draftees continue to come on a regular basis. Yuri Firsov from Lokomotivny, Chelyabinsk region, born in 1993, was sent to the front a week after he had been drafted, and was killed on November 4. Ruslan Tonevitsky, a veteran of Russia’s Special Forces, a resident of the Voronezh region, born in 1979, was mobilized at the end of September and was killed on October 28. Vladimir Klimarev from Sukhoi Log, Sverdlovsk region, born in 1990, was taken prisoner near Makiivka, Luhansk region.
Staff members of some federal media did not get draft exemption, despite the promises of the authorities. Journalists from several major pro-government media outlets told the Verstka media outlet about being offended by the Kremlin for not being given draft exemption, while some colleagues have even received draft notices. The issue concerns formerly independent RBK, Vedomosti, and Kommersant media outlets. No one was mobilized from the latter, but some employees received draft notices. As for the Regnum news agency, its staff members have already gone to the front.
In the Novosibirsk region, pensioners sew tourist pillows for mobilized soldiers. The first batch of 100 pillows has already been sent to the Shilovo training ground, as officials reported. In Pskov, employees of a fabric store sew underwear for soldiers who serve in the war in Ukraine. First, they sewed fleece sweatshirts and pants, then T-shirts and boxers were ordered. One of the large industrial enterprises of Buryatia manufactures stoves for military personnel.
It’s not only volunteers who help volunteer and mobilized soldiers in collecting necessary things for the front, but also state-owned companies and agencies. The Polygon Media publication discovered purchases of body armor and other ammunition worth tens of millions of rubles. For example, the gas company Mosgaz spent more than 25 million rubles in November and October to buy 400 sets of body armor, helmets, and shovels. The Moscow Energospetsmontazh enterprise, part of Rosatom [Russian State Nuclear Energy Corporation], is going to buy 50 “tactical sets for the mobilized”. The list includes helmets, body armor, and communications equipment. Another 100 tactical sets are bought by NIKIMT-Atomstroy, another subsidiary of Rosatom. Even the Moscow State Academic Philharmonic Society, which bought two body armor for 241,000 rubles, is on the list.
Russian soldiers started to receive bulletproof vests and helmets made in Iran. Mobilized residents of Nizhnevartovsk received a night vision sight, the money for which was raised by the Union of Marines.
The deputy chief military commissar [head of enlistment office] of Chuvashia caused a drunk driving accident. Two administrative protocols were drawn up against him – for violating the rules of placement of vehicles on the road and for leaving the scene of an accident.