Mobilization in Russia for Nov. 24-25, 2024 CIT Volunteer Summary

Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising

Vladimir Putin has increased the one-time payment for signing a contract to serve in the war as part of Rosgvardia [Russian National Guard] from 195,000 rubles to 400,000 rubles [from $1,880 to $3,850]. This increase applies to individuals signing contracts for the first time between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31 of this year. Federal authorities currently pay a similar amount to those who conclude a contract with the Ministry of Defense.

In Berezniki, Perm region [Russia’s federal subject], authorities have nearly tripled the bonus for signing contracts with the Ministry of Defense. Previously, volunteer fighters received 150,000 rubles [$1,440] for enlisting in the district. Now, they can expect 400,000 rubles [$3,850] from local authorities. For their part, regional authorities have recently increased their contribution to the sign-up bonus from 400,000 rubles to 1.5 million rubles [from $3,850 to $14,400]. In total, including local, regional and federal components, enlistees from the area will now receive 2.3 million rubles [$22,100]. Similar increases have been implemented in Cherdyn and Perm. In these districts, volunteers will receive bonuses of 100,000 rubles [$960] and 200,000 rubles [$1,920], respectively.

Law enforcement officers from several agencies conducted raids in Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region. They checked the documents of over 300 foreign nationals and naturalized Russian citizens. Among them, authorities identified 40 individuals to add to the military rolls.

On the evening of Nov. 24, police in Moscow stopped 20-year-old Ilya K. in the metro, took him to a police station, confiscated his passport, and later transferred him to a draft office. During the transfer, officers repeatedly struck Ilya and other conscripts. Authorities now plan to send Ilya to Kaliningrad to serve in the navy. Ilya graduated from college this summer and received a draft notice. He then underwent a medical examination, but challenged the board's decision in court. A month ago, a clinic diagnosed him with arterial hypertension, but refused to confirm the systemic nature of his condition, reportedly to deny him grounds for an exemption from military service. As a result, the court ruled against him.

Journalist Artyom Krasnov from 74.RU [Chelyabinsk city online media outlet] reported a surge in complaints from relatives of conscripts stationed in the Chelyabinsk region who were coerced into signing military contracts under pressure from their commanders. According to Krasnov, in the past few days alone, the editorial office received complaints from 14 families, with the list continuing to grow. Previously, the media outlet repeatedly covered incidents of forced contract signing in the Chebarkul garrison.

A Moscow resident who was detained in February 2022 for laying flowers at the memorial of Boris Nemtsov [Russian opposition politician] received a visit from a local police officer on Sunday. The officer delivered an informational leaflet about contract military service in the Russian army. According to the resident, who spoke to the Agentstvo [Agency] independent media outlet, the police officer explained that he was distributing the leaflets to everyone listed in a certain database.

Dmitry Surov, a 39-year-old Saint Petersburg resident accused of murdering his own daughter, has reportedly gone to fight in Ukraine. He was arrested in September on suspicion of murdering his 18-year-old daughter, allegedly inflicting at least 58 stab wounds while intoxicated. On Sept. 11, Surov was placed in custody for two months. However, on Nov. 19, he posted a photo on his VKontakte social media page wearing a military uniform and holding a gun.

Mobilized Soldiers, Volunteer Fighters and Contract Soldiers

The wife of Nikolay Borovik, a 34-year-old contract soldier reported missing in action in the Kursk region, has complained that the unit's command is denying leave to soldiers involved in efforts to push Ukrainian forces out of the area. Borovik, who signed a military contract in July 2023, had only taken leave once before Ukrainian forces launched their offensive in the Kursk region. He went missing in mid-October during the assault on the village of Lyubimovka.

The Mozhem Ob'yasnit [We Can Explain] Telegram channel has drawn attention to the participation of Rustem Zainullin, the deputy head of the Belgorod region, in a regional government meeting. Zainullin deployed to the war as a member of the BARS-Belgorod volunteer unit on Oct. 8. At the meeting, the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, presented Zainullin with a letter of gratitude after a total of one and a half months of his service as a volunteer fighter. Furthermore, journalists were able to ascertain the duration of service of other officials from the Belgorod region: Mikhail Lobaznov, the head of the Gubkinsky district, had served for a period of one month and one week, while Galina Rudenko, the head of the Krasnogvardeysky district, had served for one month. Additionally, Andrey Shakulov, a member of United Russia [Putin's ruling party] from Cheboksary [the capital of Russia's constituent Republic of Chuvashia], had served for four months. Bulat Yumadilov, a member of the State Assembly—Kurultai of Russia's constituent Republic of Bashkortostan and president of the Bashkortostan Chamber of Advocates had served for a period of four months and two weeks. The majority of officials deploying to the war do so as part of the regional self-defense BARS (Special Combat Army Reserve) volunteer units, which allows them to sign a contract with them for six or twelve months. Moreover, such a contract can be terminated at any time at will. At the same time, members of the BARS units are entitled to the same benefits and social guarantees as military personnel.

Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents

The Chita Garrison Military Court, Zabaykalsky region [Russia's federal subject], has found soldier Ivan Simakov guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm resulting in death. Simakov and Natalia Shchyogoleva, a local resident, had assaulted an acquaintance, who later died of his injuries in hospital. Simakov was sentenced to seven years in a maximum security penal colony, while Shchyogoleva received a sentence of seven and a half years in a penal colony.

An ex-convict from the city of Kopeysk in the Chelyabinsk region, who had been imprisoned for multiple offenses but was released due to his participation in the war with Ukraine, has returned to Kopeysk and has been reported to be stalking his former romantic partner. The man broke into her apartment and attacked his former partner with a knife. However, police decided that the victim had inflicted the wounds on herself and did not initiate a criminal case.

A court in Volgograd has sentenced Nikita Zhuravel, previously convicted for a video of himself burning the Quran, to 13.5 years in a maximum security penal colony on charges of treason. Taking into account the unserved term from the Quran burning case, he is to spend a total of 14 years in prison. The treason case against Zhuravel became known in early October. According to investigators, he "proactively offered cooperation" to a representative of the Security Service of Ukraine through a messenger app. In March 2023, he sent his "handler" a video of a train transporting military vehicles and aircraft, as well as information about the movement of a vehicle belonging to a military unit. Additionally, Zhuravel allegedly burned the Quran under the orders of the Ukrainian intelligence services. For this, he was sentenced to three and a half years in a penal colony at the end of February. Zhuravel complained to his lawyers about pressure and assaults. In September 2023, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov published a video showing his underage son Adam assaulting Zhuravel, who was handcuffed.

In Saint Petersburg, five individuals have been detained on suspicion of working for scammers from Ukraine. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the detainees contacted a "Ukrainian handler" in private chats and agreed to ensure the operation of equipment used to spoof phone numbers during fraudulent calls in exchange for money. They also cashed out funds received from the accounts of victims and subsequently transferred them to their "handlers."

The Federal Security Service has accused a 20-year-old man from the Volgograd region of high treason. According to the FSB, the young man transferred money from his bank account to a "digital wallet used to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine." The identity of the accused and further details of the case have not been disclosed.

Children

Educational institutions in the Murmansk region have been instructed to organize "Faces of Heroes" quasi-patriotic events. Each school is required to send at least five students to participate. Organizers promise, among other things, to acquaint students with the "heroic actions" of military personnel who took part in the invasion of Ukraine.

In at least 17 regions of Russia, children participated in a propaganda game called "I am Russian." These events for high school students were held in schools, libraries, and community centers.

Miscellaneous

The authorities in the Voronezh region plan to install outdoor bomb shelters in the area. Last week, the authorities in the Lipetsk region also announced the purchase of such shelters.

Longreads

The 7x7—Gorizontalnaya Rossiya [Horizontal Russia] news outlet has published an article on how participants in the war with Ukraine returning home to Novosibirsk are making life unbearable for their neighbors.

Meanwhile, Meduza [international Russian-language online media outlet] has published an extensive report on recruiting contract soldiers in pre-trial detention centers.

Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet] shared the story of mobilized Sergey Savchenko, who, under police pressure, ended up in a draft office and was assigned to a medical unit before being sent to serve as an officer. After refusing to participate in an assault, Savchenko was detained by military police and then endured two months of torture in an illegal military prison, followed by service in a "suicide brigade" and an evacuation unit.

Novaya Gazeta [independent Russian newspaper] investigated the case of Ivan Tolpygin, a resident of Oryol, who was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of "confidential" cooperation with a foreign state. Earlier, the Pervy Otdel [First Department] human rights project found evidence in the case showing that FSB officers posed as Ukrainian citizens and provoked Russians to commit crimes. During their investigation, Novaya Gazeta discovered another similar case involving the same provocateurs.