Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
According to the locals, the forced recruitments often involve violence.
Several Western observers and analysts warn that Putin is plotting a new mobilization of as many as 500,000 troops in a couple of months.
But even though the Kremlin tries to portray the “special military operation,” as they call the war in Ukraine, as a fight for Russia’s very future and existence, the Russian population is, shall we say, hesitant to sign up for the military.
On June 14, 2026, CNN reported that Russia’s manpower advantage against Ukraine is starting to decline, and both Ukrainian and Western sources have noted that the economic incentives for signing up for the military are not enough to supply Russia’s armed forces with enough recruits to replenish the losses in Ukraine.
There have been reports from Russian regions of men being forcibly taken by military recruiters and forced to enlist—and now a small Russian community has decided to protect their own.
Civil protective patrol
In order to protect local men from military recruiters, residents in the Russian settlement of Bashmakovo have formed a 250-person civilian patrol, according to reporting by independent outlet 7×7.
According to blogger Stanislav Morozov and local sources, cited by the Kyiv Post, enlistment teams in the Penza region have been snatching men off public streets to force contract signatures.
To fight back, residents organize regular watch shifts, collect funds, and alert neighboring villages whenever recruitment vans arrive.
Morozov published videos showing citizens stepping in to free men from recruiters. Still, tactics have grown violent.
Locals told 7×7 that recruiters mistakenly grabbed minors, beat them, and left them in a forest. Another resident, Viktor Balashov, was allegedly beaten at an enlistment office until he signed.
Tragedy has already struck the settlement. As reported by 7×7, local resident Sergei Milkin was taken from his home while intoxicated, despite a serious heart condition. He died on the front lines just three weeks later.
Pressure from above
While district officials claim everything is calm, the police summoned several patrol members for questioning on Monday, July 27, 7×7 reported.
Meanwhile, Russian security services opened an extremism case against Morozov after he publicly urged residents to resist forced enlistment.
Behind the escalation is Moscow’s scramble to sustain battlefield troop numbers. According to The Moscow Times, forced recruitment in Penza has intensified since June, with local district head Tamara Pavlutkina allegedly overseeing efforts to meet strict military quotas.
