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Russia Turns to Debtors and Students for Military Recruitment Amid Volunteer Shortage
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In Russia, the government is facing growing challenges in finding volunteers willing to fight, prompting regional and municipal authorities to turn to alternative sources, such as debtors and students, to fill military ranks.
This was reported by Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) on April 10.
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In February 2026, regional and municipal executive bodies across Russia were instructed to create lists of “volunteers” to be sent to the front lines. These lists primarily include individuals with unpaid utility bills.
In cases where the debtor is a woman, her husband or adult relatives, such as sons, brothers, or even parents, are added to the list.
The authorities intend to use these lists as leverage to pressure individuals into signing “voluntary” contracts by offering the cancellation of utility debts as an incentive.
“These lists are intended to be used as a pressure tool to force individuals into signing ‘voluntary’ contracts, offering debt forgiveness for utility services as a ‘reward’,” HUR stated
Should mobilization be declared, these individuals are expected to be prioritized for conscription notices.
Additionally, Russian Minister of Higher Education Valery Falkov has ordered that at least 2% of university students be prepared to sign military contracts. Students are being offered academic leave and contracts for a minimum of one year, with those facing academic backlogs given priority.
The government is promising several benefits during the recruitment drive, including the ability to return to their studies after serving, financial payments, and additional perks. Some of the bonuses offered include the possibility of being transferred to a budget-funded education program or receiving financial support from educational institutions.
Recently, Russian authorities have ramped up efforts to recruit individuals into military service, leveraging both students and debtors to bolster their ranks. This has been further revealed in Mariupol, where local students are systematically subjected to military training disguised as “patriotic education.”
As reported by the Mariupol City Council, at the so-called “Mariupol State University,” students are being involved in training exercises that cover shooting practice, combat drills, and military tactics. These sessions, portrayed as part of a patriotic education program, are designed to teach students weapon handling, military marches, and tactical exercises, including oaths of allegiance to Russia.
The training of students in Mariupol is part of a broader effort to recruit young people into the Russian army under the guise of “patriotism.” As part of this hidden mobilization, universities are offering students contracts to serve in the Russian military.
This militarization effort starts even earlier, with children as young as six years old being enrolled in the “Yunarmiya” movement, a youth military organization. In Mariupol alone, around 6,000 children between the ages of 6 and 18 have already been enlisted into this program.
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