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Russian Authorities Pressure Civilians to Sign Military Contracts Amid Reports of Impending New Mobilisation

Russian security forces are increasingly detaining civilians off the streets to pressure them into signing military contracts as the Kremlin prepares for a potential new wave of mobilisation. Reports from the human rights project Idite lesom indicate a peak in these round-ups began in mid-August, with men being detained under the pretext of document checks or public drinking to be forced into service. While local authorities in regions like Penza have denied reports of coercive methods, many citizens fear being trapped in the country as the Unified Register of Military Records makes departure more difficult. To fill recruitment quotas, the administration is also utilizing prison authorities to find contract soldiers and targeting those in financial difficulty. Meanwhile, recruitment ads are appearing in Moscow and across Russia, some of which have been criticized as misleading. For example, Danil Astakhov, a pastry chef who was mobilized in 2022, noted that ads promising rear-support roles often result in front-line combat positions. Despite official denials from the administration regarding a mass mobilisation, the threat of a new draft remains a primary concern for many Russians.

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