Many in the West predicted that Russian President Vladimir Putin would proclaim a general mobilization in order to reinforce his invasion fronts. In the meantime, the pressure on veterans and conscripts is mounting.
Contrary to many predictions, even after more than four months of the Ukrainian War, Moscow did not decree a general military mobilization. Career and temporary soldiers participate in combat, as well as employees of private security and military companies.
In addition, men recruited from the so-called “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Lugansk in the Donbass region are employed. Instead of widespread mobilization, enlistment departments are more actively looking for temporary soldiers than ever before, as well as targeting young people undergoing mandatory military service.
‘Probably a covert mobilization’
Alexander (name changed for security reasons) is a veteran and has not lived in Russia for years. His passport, however, shows his Russian registration address, where his parents still live. Recently, they found in their mailbox a summons from the local draft board.
“I’ve been listed with the department for over 20 years. I’m a veteran and I don’t know why. It’s probably a covert mobilization.” But he condemns the attack on his country, and if he were still in Russia, after such a summons he would try to leave as soon as possible.
Apparently, more and more Russians who have served in the Armed Forces and have combat experience are getting these drafts. The Russian social network VK deals with the topic: victims exchange advice on the best way to react. “My son went to the department on June 14. They looked at his documents and asked if he wanted to sign a contract. Then they let him go,” writes Anna, affiliated with a women’s group in Arkhangelsk.
Since the beginning of the Ukrainian War, and especially in the last month, human rights activist Alexander Gorbachev, who advises those obliged to serve in the military, has observed an intensified search for temporary soldiers. “Previously, only compulsory recruits and men who came to the junta voluntarily were offered a contract. There were no mass phone calls and subpoenas.”
Tightening the siege on recruits
By law, all men between the ages of 18 and 27 are required to do military service in Russia. There are exceptions for health reasons, and college students get a deferment for the duration of their studies. Even before the war, the rights of conscripts were frequently violated, but this year there were unprecedented cases, reports Oksana Paramonova, director of the human rights organization Mothers of Soldiers in St. Petersburg.
For example, students were recruited in the last year of the course without considering the deferral to which they were still entitled. Individuals in poor health, who normally could not serve, were also called. The Saint Petersburg Mothers hotline has received several complaints in this regard.
In addition, authorities have been contacting companies directly with lists of employees who must report for military service. By law, a subpoena received at the workplace cannot be ignored. However, as far as is known, the conscription boards themselves did not compel anyone to sign a temporary contract.
As the Russian online newspaper The Insider recently reported, an exception is the Russian republic of Chechnya, where men have been forced to the front through kidnapping, torture and criminal prosecution. Paramonova confirms that such methods are not usual in other regions of the country. “There are cases in which direct psychological pressure is not exerted, but potential hires are attracted with wages, benefits and working conditions”, she says.
On the other hand, many complain on their hotline that contractual conditions are not met, and it is often found that temporary soldiers have not read contracts thoroughly before signing them.
financial temptation
In many cases, it is not even necessary to force citizens to go to war. It is common to see queues in front of mobile enlistment posts. At the end of May, President Vladimir Putin removed the age limit for military service: now people over 40 can also serve – and many do.
A central attraction is payment, as the numerous advertisements by military departments emphasize. Those who currently sign a contract receive a monthly salary of 200,000 rubles (R$19,000), five times the average salary in Russia. In peacetime, the regular pay is 25,000 rubles (R$2,400), explains Alexander Gorbachev.
However, the announcements do not specify whether it is a recruitment for combat actions, there are only indirect indications in this sense. Thus, it appears at the end of a description: “During the execution of the special military operation, only a contract of four months or more can be concluded.” Putin calls the war of aggression against Ukraine a “special military operation”.
“There is no hidden mobilization, in the sense of compulsory recruitment to participate in combat actions in Ukraine,” says Oleg Ignatov, chief analyst at the International Crisis Group. The Western media and military were counting on Putin to announce a general mobilization on May 9. That didn’t happen, but it’s not to be ruled out in the future, Ignatov points out.
So far such a decision has possibly been avoided for political reasons, as it could quickly turn passive supporters of the war into active opponents. And the Russian leadership fears the discontent of the population, explains the expert.
So far, the Russian infantry’s shortcomings in the advance on Donbass have been compensated for by the superiority of its artillery. But Moscow’s military forces would not be enough to take over cities like Dnipro, Odessa or Kiev.
“We don’t know how far Russia wants to go in Ukraine. However, it does not back down from its goals and its policy. If it feels backed into a corner, a general mobilization can be proclaimed”, evaluates Ignatov.
