Russia is facing serious accusations of forced recruitment of citizens and their sending to the war front in Ukraine. A CNN investigation reveals shocking testimonies from family members, according to which Russian men, often with health or economic problems, are forcibly taken off the streets and forced to sign military contracts. Some of them have disappeared just weeks after being sent to fight, while families have no information about their fate. Human rights organizations warn that such cases are increasing, raising suspicions of a secret military mobilization. The situation comes at a time when Russia is in the fifth year of the war in Ukraine and faces the need to fill the ranks of the army. According to CNN, while previously Moscow relied mainly on large financial rewards to attract volunteers, now evidence is increasing of the use of pressure, threats and deception. A Russian citizen, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that his 50-year-old uncle, with serious health problems and an alcohol addiction, was forced into a car by several men in civilian clothes.
According to his testimony, the man was given a document to sign that later turned out to be a contract to join the Russian army. A week later, he disappeared from his apartment, and his family learned that he had been sent to a training camp in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine. In late September, he was reported missing in action. “I have trouble sleeping. Sometimes I have nightmares that I am being caught outside the house,” his family told CNN. Another Russian citizen, whose brother was allegedly taken by force in July while drunk, told a similar story. Despite the family’s claims, the local military prosecutor’s office said the man had signed the contract of his own free will. Less than a month later, he was also reported missing. Russian military lawyer Artyom Kliga, based in Berlin, told CNN that since the beginning of the summer he has noticed a significant increase in cases of forced recruitment. According to him, the main targets are men in difficult economic situations, with health problems, debts or alcohol addiction, who often do not know their rights.
Another disturbing element revealed by the investigation relates to the payments that Russian regional authorities offer to people who help recruit new soldiers. In the Ryazan region, Governor Pavel Malkov has announced rewards of 50,000 to 300,000 rubles for each person who helps secure a military contract. CNN has identified advertisements and payment schemes in several regions, which encourage citizens to find men willing to enlist in the army. However, the American media emphasizes that it has not been able to verify whether the people suspected of kidnapping men on the street are acting to benefit from these rewards. Meanwhile, videos have been published in the city of Penza in which women are seen surrounding buses with recruits and demanding the release of their families. The Russian Ministry of Defense has denied allegations of forced recruitment in this city.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Russian citizens voluntarily sign up for the army, rejecting accusations of forced mobilization. However, evidence gathered by CNN and human rights organizations presents a different reality, where the fear of being sent to the front is also pushing young people to leave the country. A 21-year-old Russian, identified by the pseudonym Igor, said that he left Russia after being twice pressured to sign a military contract. “I was afraid that someone else would sign in my name. I was afraid that the borders would be closed and I would never be able to leave,” he confessed. Experts emphasize that pressure to recruit soldiers can also come from regional authorities, which must meet set quotas, without necessarily being the result of a direct order from the Kremlin.
