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Russia Intensifies Forced Mobilization as Authorities Target Debt-Ridden and Ex-Prisoner Recruits
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A new wave of forced recruitment of men into the Russian military has begun, with those most vulnerable to intimidation and lacking legal protection reportedly being targeted, according to ATESH partisan movement on June 22.
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The Kremlin has issued strict regional directives to increase the recruitment of contract soldiers. Local authorities failing to meet assigned quotas are intensifying the work of military enlistment offices and security services, the movement reported, citing its sources.
Those primarily affected include men with significant debt listed in enforcement databases and former prisoners under administrative supervision.
ATESH writes that these individuals are being detained on a large scale and coerced into signing contracts with the Russian armed forces.
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“This wave is a consequence of massive losses suffered by the occupying forces on the front line and a critical shortage of personnel: current recruitment rates no longer cover the losses,” ATESH stated.
Similar reports of increased recruitment pressure have also been emerging from other regions of Russia. According to Meduza on June 19, Russian authorities reportedly conducted mass round-ups of men in the city of Penza, detaining draft-eligible residents and pressuring them to sign military contracts.
The accounts were shared by subscribers of the Telegram channels, who described checkpoints staffed by traffic police, masked individuals, and military enlistment officers.
One resident said that officers were mainly targeting men who had previously received draft notices but had not appeared at enlistment offices. "They were checking military registration and looking for draft evaders," he stated, adding that he had not personally witnessed any detentions.
Another account described growing panic in the city, with residents calling each other to warn male relatives to stay off the streets. According to these reports, local media did not cover the round-ups.
A Penza resident stated that authorities were “nabbing absolutely everyone, stopping cars and public transport.” She added that detained men were reportedly taken away and pressured into signing military contracts.
The reported raids come amid growing speculation that Russia may be preparing a new wave of mobilization. Ongoing heavy losses and a stalled offensive have fueled expectations in Moscow that a large-scale conscription drive could be launched later this year.
According to these reports, the resulting pressure is already being felt within military enlistment offices.
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