Mobilization in Russia for Sept. 11-14, 2025 CIT Volunteer Summary

Army Recruitment

For the first time, border guards prevented a man from leaving Russia due to restrictions linked to the Unified Military Register. The 28-year-old said he had never previously received a draft notice. On Sept. 8, however, he was notified of a digital draft notice summoning him for a medical evaluation on Oct. 22. The Draft Register website immediately reflected that he was barred from traveling abroad. Having planned his leave in May, he risked flying. At airport passport control, officials told him the ban appeared in their database—the first such case they had encountered. The Voyennye Advokaty [Military Lawyers] Telegram channel noted that the notification initially failed to specify a draft office, which could indicate a technical glitch or cast doubt on the story’s authenticity. If correct, however, it represents one of the first documented instances of a draft-related travel ban being enforced. The potential conscript now cannot travel outside Russia until he reports to a draft office or appeals either the draft notice or the restriction. The Agentstvo [Agency] independent media outlet spoke with human rights advocates, who said that while they could not verify the case, they considered it plausible. They stressed that confirmation of the system’s operation would require more documented instances. The incident may indicate the state is "finishing work on all fronts" ahead of the fall regular conscription campaign, which traditionally begins on Oct. 1.

Mobilized Soldiers, Contract Soldiers and Conscripts

Based on open sources, Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet] and BBC News Russian, together with volunteers, have verified the names of 130,150 Russian fighters killed in Ukraine, including 14,797 mobilized soldiers. Over the past week, the list has grown by 2,035 names, 994 of whom were mobilized.

Relatives of 40-year-old Nikolay Belousov from the town of Apatity in the Murmansk region, reported that he was denied medical treatment for injuries sustained at the front. Belousov, previously convicted of theft and robbery, was released from a penal colony in April after signing a contract with the MoD. He was wounded in July, and after being diagnosed with HIV in hospital, was refused treatment and threatened with redeployment to the frontline. Belousov is currently held in a military unit in the town of Luga, Leningrad region, from where he managed to call his relatives and report that he had been beaten and shackled to a radiator with handcuffs. He also asked them to contact the Military Prosecutor's Office.

Sentences, Legal Proceedings and Incidents

Nikita Kucher, a 32-year-old Ukrainian citizen, has been sentenced to 14 years in a maximum security penal colony for involvement in a terrorist organization. According to investigators, Kucher fought on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of the 48th Separate Assault Battalion named after Noman Çelebicihan, which was declared a terrorist organization in Russia in June 2022. In January 2025, Kucher was added to the list of missing persons in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region. After being captured, he told investigators he had been forced to go to the frontline from a Ukrainian penal colony.

The Southern District Military Court has sentenced 48-year-old Ukrainian citizen Denys Demianenko to 19 years in a maximum security penal colony on charges of participation in a terrorist organization and training in terrorism. According to prosecutors, in June 2024 Demianenko joined the Ukrainian 24th Assault Battalion Aidar, but was captured the same month.

In Perm, two teenagers aged 11 and 15 have been accused of an attempted act of terror for preparing to commit arson on a railway. Investigators suspect them of attempting to set fire to a relay cabinet by prior conspiracy "in order to destabilize the activities of government authorities and to influence their decision-making." The exact time and location of the attempted arson were not specified. The 15-year-old detainee was placed under house arrest as a preventive measure, while the 11-year-old was released, as he has not yet reached the age of criminal responsibility.

A 36-year-old resident of Dimitrovgrad in the Ulyanovsk region has been placed in a pretrial detention center on charges of participating in a terrorist organization. Investigators allege that from spring 2024 to summer 2025, he collected information on defense industry facilities in the region. Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov claimed on his Telegram channel that the detainee had allegedly been preparing an assassination attempt against him, but this detail was not included in the Federal Security Service’s (FSB) official statement.

A military court in Yekaterinburg sentenced 24-year-old Ilya Trofimov from the village of Uporovo to 18 years in a maximum security penal colony for participating in a terrorist organization and attempting a terrorist attack. Details of the case remain unclear. In his final statement, Trofimov said he recognized the seriousness of his actions and had decided to cooperate with investigators. He also expressed relief that his "reckless actions did not result in any deaths, damage to military vehicles or harm to buildings and infrastructure." Trofimov appealed to the court for leniency but ultimately received a sentence only two years shorter than what prosecutors had sought.

A district court in Belgorod fined 35-year-old Dmitry Tverdokhlebov, a resident of the Valuyki district, on charges of failing to report a crime. According to investigators, Tverdokhlebov "possessed reliable information" about an acquaintance’s involvement in the Russian Volunteer Corps but did not inform law enforcement. The amount of the fine was not specified.

In Klimovsk, a town in the Moscow region, FSB officers detained a man on suspicion of treason, alleging he had transferred money to the AFU. The intelligence service also stated that the suspect planned to travel to Ukraine "to participate in combat on the side of the enemy."

An appellate court upheld the conviction of photographer Grigory Skvortsov from Perm, who in July was sentenced to 16 years in prison on treason charges. Investigators accused him of providing an American journalist with a book about Soviet-era bunkers, despite the fact that the book was freely available in stores.

Children and Militarization

More than 3 million students have taken part this year in the newly launched paramilitary game Zarnitsa 2.0, according to Artur Orlov, head of the board of the state-led Movement of the First youth movement. This represents about 17 percent of all schoolchildren in Russia. Unlike the Soviet-era game Zarnitsa, the new version is significantly more militarized, simulating combat operations.

Assistance

In Ufa, officials plan to build a rehabilitation center for adults with disabilities and veterans of the war with Ukraine. The complex will include a medical center, a hotel and a sports facility, with total investment projected at 1.2 billion rubles [$14.27 million]. It is expected to serve more than 5,000 people a year, including at least 1,000 servicemen. No timeline has been announced.

In Noginsk, Moscow region, local authorities have opened a support center for war veterans in the building of the city’s largest elementary school. The school was closed two years ago for "renovation," but students never returned. The decision has provoked strong criticism from parents, who say their children are now forced to study in overcrowded classrooms elsewhere.

Miscellaneous

Ella Pamfilova, chair of Russia’s Central Election Commission, has announced that 90 polling stations across the country have been named in honor of those participating in the war against Ukraine. According to her, 1,116 veterans of the so-called "special military operation" are involved in this year’s elections, while 997 election commission members have either participated in or are currently serving in the war.