Russia has set up patrols to prevent men from being drafted into the war
In the village of Bashmakovo in Russia’s Penza Region, local residents have begun patrolling the streets around the clock to prevent men from being forcibly sent to fight in the war against Ukraine. According to the initiative’s organizers, about 250 people have already joined the patrols.
They say that recently in Bashmakovo, there has been an increase in incidents where men are being taken to military recruitment offices through threats, deception, or force. One such incident occurred on July 23. Two men in civilian clothes came to the home of Sergei Tepliakov, an employee of a security company. They identified themselves as police officers and demanded to see his passport.
Tepliakov called the real police. After that, according to him, the strangers grabbed him and tried to force him into a car. They released him only after his son arrived and began filming what was happening. The next day, a similar situation occurred involving another resident of Bashmakovo—Oleksiy Denysenko. He was performing community service when two men forced him into a car.
Denisenko was told that things would get “worse” for him if he refused to go to the district administration. His sister later caught up with the car on the road and managed to get them to release him. Following these incidents, local residents decided to organize volunteer patrols. People coordinate through a group on the social network VK and take turns patrolling the streets around the clock. According to one of the participants, about 250 people have already joined the patrols.
Locals claim that since the patrols began, they have managed to prevent the abduction of at least five or six men. According to them, in some cases, vehicles belonging to local authorities may have been used for this purpose. However, these claims could not be independently verified. The head of the Bashmakovo District Administration did not respond to a request for comment from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
According to the publication, at least two other men from Bashmakovo were taken to a recruitment center in Penza after their detention. Local residents claim that they were pressured there to sign contracts to serve in the Russian army. One of the men, according to eyewitnesses, was also threatened with criminal prosecution over debts.
Reports of similar incidents are also coming in from other regions of Russia. According to “Radio Liberty,” Russian authorities are increasingly using money, pressure, deception, and raids to replenish the army. At the same time, the Kremlin is trying to avoid announcing a new large-scale mobilization. One reason for this may be the political risks ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18–20.
The situation in Bashmakovo shows that some Russians are trying to resist military conscription methods on their own. To this end, they have even organized round-the-clock patrols in the streets to promptly warn fellow villagers of the arrival of people who may be looking for men to send to the front. This was reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which spoke with local residents.
Earlier, Russia launched a ballistic missile strike on a facility in Kryvyi Rih.
As a reminder, Russia attacked Kyiv with ballistic missiles.
Prior to that, Russia had attacked warehouses and energy infrastructure in the Odesa region.
