Russian security forces have intensified efforts to pressure civilians and conscripts into signing military contracts.
Russian security forces have intensified efforts to pressure civilians and conscripts into signing military contracts, as speculation grows that Moscow could order a mobilization after September’s parliamentary elections, Euronews reported.
Idite Lesom, an organization that helps Russians avoid participating in the war, said it received 14 appeals in mid-August from people who reported being detained and forced or pressured to enlist.
Men were reportedly stopped in the street for document checks or alleged public drinking, taken from workplaces, and detained while returning home.
Conscripts also reported being forced or pressured to sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry.
Prison officials are also reportedly recruiting detainees awaiting trial and people already serving prison sentences.
Civilian recruiters are also reportedly using job advertisements, intermediaries, and direct contacts to identify unemployed or indebted people and persuade them to sign military contracts.
Organizations helping Russians leave the country have recorded a sharp increase in inquiries since mid-July.
Requests concerning travel to Georgia and Armenia, which Russians can enter without visas, have risen.
Applicants fear that another mobilization could leave them unable to depart.
Under the electronic military register launched in May 2025, leaving Russia becomes significantly more difficult once a person receives a summons and is entered into the system.
Idite Lesom told Euronews that more than 80,000 people have sought its advice on avoiding participation in the war since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
A soldier armed with a rifle stands on the roadside under an anti-drone net covering the road to protect from Russian FPV drone strikes in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on January 23, 2026. Photo: Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via AFPRecruitment Struggles
Reports suggested the increased recruitment pressure may reflect Russia’s struggle to replace mounting battlefield losses.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Moscow has suffered up to 1.4 million casualties, including 450,000 deaths, since 2022.
The think tank put Russia’s monthly losses this year at more than 30,000 personnel, compared with approximately 27,000 new contract soldiers.
Ukrainian military intelligence, however, put Russia’s recruitment rate above the CSIS estimate.
Earlier this month, Deputy intelligence chief Vadym Skibitskyi said Moscow was enlisting up to 35,000 personnel per month, enough to replace current losses and meet up to 110 percent of its monthly requirement.
