Mobilization in Russia for Oct. 8-9, 2023 CIT Volunteer Summary

Army Recruitment and Military Service Advertising

Following the publication by the Ministry of Defense of its plans to call up 130,000 people during the regular conscription campaign this fall, more regions announced their respective targets. Russia’s constituent republic of Chuvashia plans to call up just over 1,000 residents, compared to 1,400 in spring and just under 1,000 in fall last year. For its part, the Volgograd region will be conscripting more than 2,000 residents.

In Omsk, a 54-year-old man and his 29-year-old son each received a paper slip, asking them to call the draft office on the numbers provided, in order to "check the personal data" on file in the military service register. Last fall, draft office representatives tried to serve the 29-year-old a mobilization draft notice twice. It is important to stress that these new requests are not draft notices.

After striking a pedestrian at a crossing, Vladimir Kocherga, formerly a lieutenant colonel in the police department of the Krasnodar region, is preparing to leave for the front to avoid punishment. Kocherga did not appear at a court hearing of his case. Despite being prohibited from leaving the Ust-Labinsky district, he is allegedly undergoing training elsewhere in the Krasnodar region.

Mobilized Soldiers and Volunteer Fighters

News has surfaced regarding another conscript's death. Originally from Novosibirsk, 20-year-old Ivan Frolov was performing his conscription service in Crimea. He sustained a head injury as a result of a strike, fell into a coma, and died in the hospital shortly afterwards. At least ten other conscripts have been killed in regions near the frontline since the invasion began.

A military man’s body, showing signs of battery, has been discovered at a military unit in the Ryazan region. Police Mayor Vladimir G., 48, was stationed at a military settlement near Ryazan, awaiting his deployment to the war. According to the Ostorozhno, Novosti [Beware the news] Telegram channel, the contract soldier’s body was covered with bruises. Preliminary reports suggest that the man was beaten to death.

Instead of a prosthetic arm, a metal stick has been issued to Vadim Sharipov, 53, a volunteer soldier who lost his arm in the war. The device was manufactured by a company managed by Aleksey Savvinov, a staff member of the office of the head of Yakutia. According to Sharipov’s relatives, around 5 million rubles [$50,000] had been spent on the prosthetic. They returned the device but have not been offered a replacement. The 7x7—Gorizontalnaya Rossiya [Horizontal Russia] news outlet published an article on how the wounded military service members spent months awaiting means for rehabilitations while prosthetic device manufacturers were unable to meet the heightened demand.

A resident of the Khanty-Mansi autonomous region–Yugra [Russia's federal subject] who voluntarily signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense in the Khabarovsk region, where he was undergoing statutory military service, has been unable to receive monetary compensation owed him from either region.

Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents

In the Primorsky region [Russia's federal subject], a former Wagner Group mercenary, who returned from the war, strangled a 32-year-old woman and set her body on fire, along with her car, to conceal the crime. During the interrogation, he confessed to the murder, citing a personal conflict with the victim as the motive. In 2016, the mercenary had already been sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison for murder and robbery. He joined the Wagner Group in December 2022 and returned to the Primorsky region in July.

Employees of the draft offices in Yakutia [Russia’s constituent republic], including the draft commissioner of the city of Yakutsk, have filed more than 100 lawsuits regarding overtime work during mobilization. All plaintiffs are demanding payment of their salary arrears. The court proceedings have been closed to the press.

The Abakan Garrison Military Court has sentenced Junior Sergeant Anton Kornilov to 11 years in a maximum security penal colony for murder and going AWOL. Kornilov left his unit on Dec. 24, 2022, and while intoxicated, he assaulted his father, striking him three times with a knife in the chest. Kornilov was apprehended on March 24, 2023.

The Novorossiysk Garrison Military Court has sentenced mobilized soldier Aleksandr Zhuravel to five years and two months in a penal colony for going AWOL. Zhuravel was absent from his unit from Feb. 13 to June 16 when he was apprehended by military police. During the court proceedings, Zhuravel explained that his mother fell ill in November 2022 and required assistance.

A court in Grozny sentenced Izmutdin Osmanov, a mobilized soldier from Russia’s constituent Republic of Dagestan, to five and a half years in prison for going AWOL. Osmanov explained his actions by saying he wanted to help his family prepare firewood for the winter because their village lacked gas. Later, Osmanov voluntarily returned to his unit.

A court in the Leningrad region sentenced a mobilized soldier to two and a half years in a penal settlement for refusing to participate in combat. According to investigators, in April 2023, the corporal twice refused to execute orders to go to a combat zone. During the proceedings, the defendant did not admit guilt, arguing that there was no threat to his homeland, and therefore, he did not want to participate in combat.

A court in Saratov sentenced Aleksey Kochetkov to 12 years in prison on charges of sabotage for setting fire to two relay cabinets. According to the court, Kochetkov received the task on Telegram, and he was promised 10,000 rubles [$100] for each relay cabinet.

A 34-year-old man was detained in Naberezhnye Chelny on suspicion of collecting and passing information about draft offices and the KAMAZ automobile plant. He is facing criminal charges under the article "Involvement in an extremist organization." According to investigators, he administered the closed ArtPodgotovka Telegram channel, which supported activities of the left-wing organization, and collected and shared information about critical and military infrastructure objects with other members of the chat.

A 68-year-old resident of Chelyabinsk who attempted to set fire to the regional draft office has been released on an undertaking to appear. She is facing criminal charges for the attempted arson.

The case of Ruslan Zinin, who fired at the military commissar in Ust-Ilimsk was heard in court today. Zinin admitted his guilt in causing grievous bodily harm to the military commissar, possession and storage of weapons, and setting fire to the draft office but denied the accusations of an act of terror. Zinin is facing charges related to terrorism and illegal manufacturing and transportation of weapons. The injured military commissar also appeared in court and filed a civil lawsuit against Zinin for 3.5 million rubles [$35,000].

Assistance

Residents of Izhevsk are being asked to bring toothpastes, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and toilet paper to the military hospital, where more than 120 seriously wounded Russian servicemen are currently being treated.

Wives of military personnel from Chelyabinsk complained about the conditions of their apartments. According to them, hot water is regularly turned off in the apartments, while heating has not been provided yet.

Children

In 2024, a total of 45.9 billion rubles [$459 million] will be allocated for the first time to finance patriotic youth organizations and programs aimed at promoting patriotism. The Dvizheniye Pervykh [Movement of the First] will receive more than 20 billion rubles [$200 million]. Furthermore, the government plans to allocate more than 300 million rubles [$3 million] to finance the Orlyata Rossii [Eaglets of Russia] program for primary school students, while the Young Army [pro-Kremlin youth organization] expects to receive 270 million rubles [$2,7 million]. Additionally, advisers on "patriotic education" will be introduced in schools.

Miscellaneous

In the city of Chita, Zabaykalsky region [Russia's federal subject], a third monument dedicated to the war with Ukraine was erected. The authorities spent 11.3 million rubles [$113,000] for the production of this monument, which was funded through the Far Eastern Unified Subsidy.

The authorities of the Perm region [Russia's federal subject] will allocate funds to the Rational Subsoil Use Research and Education Centre in Perm for the establishment of a new center focused on UAV development. Over the period from 2024 to 2026, the center will receive 302 million rubles [$3,02 million] from the regional budget as part of the Industrial Development program.

Sergey Mikhalyov, a member of the Rostov Legislative Assembly representing Putin’s ruling United Russia party, is proposing to explore the possibility of introducing additional safeguards for the preservation of subscriber numbers for individuals participating in the "special military operation." Now, if a number remains inactive for an extended period, it may be deactivated.