Mobilization in Russia for Oct. 26-28, 2025 CIT Volunteer Summary
Authorities and Legislation
Vladimir Putin signed several bills into law. The changes, among other things:
- Exempt the families of participants in the war against Ukraine from paying state fees on claims related to pensions and other benefits;
- Establish preferential conditions for veterans of the "special military operation" to join the Federal Penitentiary Service;
- Include members of Storm-Z units and those who performed "tasks as part of special units during the special military operation" among those eligible for combat veteran and combat-disabled veteran status.
The federal government’s legislative commission endorsed a Ministry of Defense bill that would change the procedure for calculating military service terms. Several media outlets interpreted the changes to mean that the Ministry intends to lower the threshold for charging a service member with going AWOL from 10 to two days. However, during mobilization or wartime, criminal liability already applies for absences exceeding two days for both conscripts and contract soldiers. The Voyennye Advokaty [Military Lawyers] Telegram channel notes that the amendments would affect Article 38 of the Military Conscription and Military Service Act. Currently, if a service member is absent for more than 10 days, that period does not count toward their service term. If the absence lasts less than 10 days, it counts toward the total service term. The bill proposes reducing this period to two days; under the change, going AWOL for more than two days would not count toward the service term. Legal experts believe the changes would only affect conscripts, since contracts have become open-ended under the mobilization decree.
The State Duma [lower house of Russia’s Federal Assembly] has approved a bill on "year-round conscription" in its third and final reading. Under the initiative, medical examinations, psychological selection and draft board meetings would run year-round, from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, instead of only during the spring and fall campaigns, the current practice. The dispatch of conscripts to their units would, however, remain within the established windows of April 1 to July 15 and Oct. 1 to Dec. 31. Ahead of the bill’s second reading, lawmakers introduced amendments stipulating that the appearance date on a draft notice posted in the digital Draft Register cannot exceed 30 days from its publication, and that the notices become enforceable nationwide.
In addition, the State Duma Committee on State Building and Legislation has approved a bill proposing to remove the rule that limits fines for failing to report a change of residence to the draft office only during the conscription period. If adopted, this violation would be punishable by fines year-round.
Lawmakers have also passed, in all three readings, a bill amending the Military Conscription and Military Service Act, which will allow those in the mobilization manpower reserve to be tasked by the MoD in peacetime and without a formal mobilization being declared. Currently, units staffed with reservists can only be used during mobilization or wartime. According to the ministry, reservists are expected to be deployed to protect critical infrastructure and other essential facilities from drone attacks deep inside Russian territory, and only within their home regions. For this purpose, reservists will be sent, by presidential decree, to special training assemblies lasting no more than two months. However, the bill also provides for the possibility of deploying reservists outside Russia.
In addition, lawmakers have approved in the first reading a bill that would lower the age of criminal liability for several sabotage- and terrorism-related offenses from 16 to 14 years old. More details on the initiative can be found here.
Army Recruitment
By October 2025, Russian regions had spent at least 2 billion rubles [$25.10 million] on payments to recruiters signing up contract soldiers for the war in Ukraine, according to calculations by Vazhnyye Istorii [IStories, independent Russian investigative media outlet]. In some regions, the bonuses reach 500,000 rubles [$6,280] per recruit, especially when it comes to foreigners or people from other regions. One in three regions has officially introduced such payments at various levels, most often funded from reserve budgets: 21 regions offer them on the regional level, and another 10 provide them in specific districts or cities. Eleven regions have publicly reported their expenditures, which are comparable to their budgets for healthcare, education and social support. The biggest spender was the Saratov region, allocating 400 million rubles [$5.02 million], followed by other regions, including the Perm region, which spent 146 million rubles [$1.83 million]—roughly the same amount it spends on ambulance services.
In the Moscow region, payments for recruiting people to the war have tripled, according to advertisements posted by local authorities in pro-war channels. On Oct. 6, recruiters could receive 100,000 rubles [$1,260] for each volunteer; now the amount has been increased to 300,000 rubles [$3,770].
Authorities in the Saratov region have ended its recruitment bonus program ahead of schedule. Originally set to run until Dec. 31, it will now conclude on Oct. 28—the first known case of its kind in Russia. The region first introduced these payments in December 2024, initially offering 10,000 rubles [$130] per recruit, later doubling the amount twice—first to 50,000 rubles [$630] and then to 150,000 rubles [$1,880]. According to Vazhnyye Istorii, the Saratov region has already spent 400 million rubles [$5.02 million] on recruitment, making it the national leader in this category.
At the same time, authorities in the Saratov region issued a decree reducing sign-up bonuses for contracts with the MoD. Since Aug. 25, new recruits had been receiving 2.2 million rubles [$27,600], but the amount has now been cut to 450,000 rubles [$5,650].
Similarly, the government of the Orenburg region reduced contract-signing bonuses from 2 million rubles [$25,100]—the amount set in January of this year—to 400,000 rubles [$5,020], effective Oct. 28.
Earlier in October, according to calculations by TV Rain [independent Russian television channel], six regions significantly reduced sign-up bonuses: the Samara and Ulyanovsk regions, as well as the republics of Tatarstan, Mari El and Chuvashia. Together with the Saratov and Orenburg regions, all of these territories are part of the Volga Federal District and have now lowered payments to 400,000 rubles [$5,020]—the minimum amount recommended by presidential decree.
The Kuyurgazinsky district administration in Bashkortostan [Russia's constituent republic] has introduced a sign-up bonus of 300,000 rubles [$3,770] for soldiers completing statutory military service and mobilized soldiers who sign contracts to participate in the war. The payment is in effect through the end of 2025.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has claimed that the region has sent 64,137 fighters to the "special military operation" zone, including 22,986 volunteer fighters. However, according to human rights advocates and local sources, residents of the republic are also being forcibly sent to the frontline through kidnappings, blackmail and threats. Reports indicate that since 2024, Kadyrov has ordered law enforcement to send citizens caught for misdemeanor or leading an "immoral lifestyle" to the war. In several documented cases, detainees were given a choice between prison or military service. Cases of extortion have been recorded, with bribes to avoid service reaching 800,000 rubles [$10,000].
Fall Conscription Campaign
In Moscow, 21-year-old Ilya Shcherbina, who suffers from severe atopic dermatitis, was detained in the Moscow metro and sent to serve in a unit near Stavropol. In early 2024, the young man's condition worsened; he was placed under medical supervision and assured he would not receive a draft notice. On his doctor's advice, Shcherbin went to the draft office in April 2025, but officials there told him he merely had xeroderma and issued him a draft notice for June. The stress exacerbated his condition, he was sent to a hospital, and after discharge the draft office again demanded he appear, threatening to put him on a wanted list. On Oct. 21, Shcherbin was detained and the next day sent to his military unit.
In Moscow, musician Svyatoslav Fominykh has been detained and is reportedly being held at the central military collection point on Ugreshskaya Street. Last year, Fominykh submitted documents to the draft office proving that he was ineligible for statutory military service due to health reasons. However, the draft office ignored the documents and issued him a draft notice. On Oct. 27, 2025, Fominykh was detained in the metro and taken to the military collection point. Since then, there has been no contact with him. His family is not permitted to enter the draft office or deliver his belongings.
Mobilized Soldiers, Contract Soldiers and Conscripts
In Russia's constituent Republic of Bashkortostan, 18-year-old Vitaly Svistunov, who was killed in the war with Ukraine, was buried in the Beloretsky district. Svistunov signed a contract with the MoD in April 2025, immediately after turning 18. He served as a senior rifleman and was killed in May, just one month after signing the contract.
In Penza, activists from Russkaya Obshchina [Russian Community], a far-right Russian nationalist organization, have announced their involvement in searching for and detaining Russian soldiers gone AWOL. The group published a video on its Telegram channel showing several men wearing the organization's patches forcibly detaining a contract soldier in a residential building. According to the activists, the detainee is Corporal Morozov, who signed a contract with the MoD and failed to return from leave more than a year and a half ago. After the video drew public attention, the organization removed the post from its channel.
The Vyorstka media outlet has published a list of 101 servicemen implicated in massacres against their own comrades on the frontline, including both commanders who issued the orders and the direct perpetrators. At least five of those named hold the title Hero of Russia. The investigation details not only murders but also cases in which commanders sent troops on "meat assaults"—unsupported, poorly equipped frontal attacks that result in mass casualties. To compile the data, journalists interviewed soldiers and their relatives and reviewed a large volume of complaints filed with the Military Prosecutor's Office. Vyorstka reports that while at least 150 servicemen are known to have been accused of murder, the true numbers are much higher. The Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office has received approximately 12,000 complaints related to extrajudicial killings since the start of the full-scale invasion, with numbers spiking in the second half of 2023. According to the outlet, the Prosecutor's Office operates under an unspoken directive not to investigate complaints against field commanders. To date, only ten criminal cases and five convictions are publicly known. Vyorstka identifies money as the primary motive behind much of this violence.
Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents
In the Nizhny Novgorod region, 32-year-old Maksim Presnyakov, a veteran of Russia’s war against Ukraine, has been detained and charged with raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter. According to the Astra Telegram channel, Presnyakov had served with the 59th Tank Regiment. He was wounded and lost a leg in 2025, resulting in his discharge from military service. Investigators allege that the crime occurred in September 2025 in the town of Semyonov. The man is currently in custody, and a criminal case has been formally opened.
In the Sverdlovsk region on the evening of Oct. 27, a war participant hit and killed two sisters aged 9 and 7, while another 11-year-old child was taken to intensive care in critical condition. A Lada car driven by 37-year-old Revda resident Mikhail Slobodyan struck the children as they were standing on the sidewalk waiting for a permissive traffic light signal. At the time of the accident, the man was intoxicated, and bottles of alcohol were found in his car. According to E1.RU [Yekaterinburg city online media outlet], Slobodyan had previously been charged with drunk driving and speeding. He was likely able to drive because the court in Yekaterinburg had failed for a year to reach a decision in a case initiated after Slobodyan refused to undergo a medical examination, the Agentstvo [Agency] independent media outlet reported. According to his wife, he had been wounded in July and returned home "to recover." Local media reported that "he had been driving around the town drunk for five days in this car." The man is currently in hospital—after hitting the children, he crashed into a building. A criminal case has been initiated for violation of traffic rules while intoxicated, resulting in the death of two people. At the site where the girls were killed, residents of Revda created a spontaneous memorial.
In the village of Igra in Udmurtia [Russia's constituent republic], according to animal rights activists, a participant in the invasion of Ukraine beat a stray dog to death while celebrating his birthday. The activists filed a complaint demanding that a criminal case be initiated under the article on cruelty to animals.
A court in Novosibirsk has sentenced serviceman Dmitry Teslenko to 12 years and his accomplice to 13 years in a maximum security penal colony in a case related to an attempt on drug trafficking. According to investigators, the men, following instructions from an unidentified person, took drugs from a hiding place and set up at least 75 stashes. The next day, they were detained by police.
A 22-year-old man from Kaliningrad has been detained in the Leningrad region on suspicion of setting a diesel locomotive on fire at the Oranienbaum-1 station. The incident occurred on the evening of Oct. 27. The locomotive, which was parked on a side track, was extinguished by the engineers in the cab. The locomotive was not seriously damaged, but the 50-year-old engineer suffered burns while putting out the fire. According to preliminary reports, the arsonist had fallen victim to fraudsters who forced him to transfer money and then promised to return it if he committed the arson. A criminal case has been opened on charges of committing an act of terror.
A 19-year-old resident of annexed Crimea has been detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center on charges of preparing an act of terror and illegally acquiring explosives. According to investigators, he was plotting the murder of a "high-ranking Interior Ministry official" using explosives allegedly supplied to him by Ukraine.
The Moscow City Court has sentenced 19-year-old Mikhail Sidorov from Dolgoprudny to eight years in a penal colony for sabotage. According to investigators, in January 2024, Sidorov and his friend Yegor Melnikov (both minors at the time) set fire to a relay cabinet on the Mark-Lobnya railway line. They were arrested immediately afterward. The FSB claims the pair received orders from a Telegram user allegedly connected to Ukrainian intelligence agencies. Investigators described the purpose of the arson as "destabilizing the situation and undermining Russia's defense capability." Melnikov was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony in February. An earlier psychiatric evaluation found Sidorov unfit to stand trial due to a chronic mental disorder, but that conclusion was reportedly overturned, allowing him to be tried as sane.
The FSB has opened a criminal case on charges of high treason against a resident of the Russian-occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region. According to investigators, the man—whose name and age have not been disclosed—transferred money to accounts allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence and the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
A 35-year-old native of Kherson, Natalia A., has disappeared after being detained at passport control at Sochi Airport on Aug. 3. She had lived in Kherson with her husband and underage son. After the city was occupied by Russian forces, the family adopted a pro-Russian stance and began delivering goods to local shops from the territory of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). In November 2022, as the Russian army withdrew, the family left the city, moved to Krasnodar and obtained Russian citizenship. In June 2025, Natalia decided to visit her grandmother, who remained in Kherson. On her return, security officers at passport control confiscated her phone and bank cards, then arrested her for 11 days for allegedly "disobeying a lawful order" from a serviceman. When her detention term expired, she was not released. According to her family, FSB officers took her away. The Interior Ministry, the FSB and the Investigative Committee have not disclosed her whereabouts. Her husband has filed a missing-person report, but authorities have not officially declared her missing.
Miscellaneous
Participants in the war against Ukraine will take part in Russia’s annual Great Ethnographic Dictation, a nationwide cultural-knowledge event that will be held from Nov. 1-8 in all regions of Russia and abroad. Veterans will ask questions via video link.
In the Krasnodar region, Lieutenant Colonel Sergey Krivshenko, a participant in the war with Ukraine, has been appointed Deputy Minister of Education and Science. He will oversee "patriotic education" programs and youth engagement initiatives. Krivshenko previously took part in the presidential Time of Heroes personnel program.