As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, growing reports suggest that Russian authorities are increasingly relying on coercive methods to recruit men for military service, amid mounting battlefield losses and recruitment challenges.
According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), eyewitnesses and relatives claim that men in the Russian city of Penza have been detained on the streets, taken to military recruitment offices, and pressured into signing contracts to fight in Ukraine.
Videos recorded on June 17 show emotional scenes as families pleaded with uniformed personnel while men were loaded into a white van.
“Did everyone sign the contract? Was it voluntary? Were you forced to do it?” one woman can be heard asking the men before the vehicle drove away.
Several relatives told RFE/RL that the detained men had no intention of joining the military and believe they signed contracts only after facing intimidation, threats, or physical pressure.
“My father never intended to go to war. The only explanation is threats, violence, or coercion,” one woman said anonymously.
Russian authorities dismissed the reports as “false,” and the video was later removed from the Russian social media platform VK.
Recruitment pressure intensifies
Western intelligence estimates suggest Russia has suffered nearly 500,000 fatalities since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the number of wounded believed to be at least twice as high.
Although Moscow has continued to attract volunteers through generous financial incentives, experts say recruitment has become increasingly difficult in 2026.
Human rights advocates allege that authorities have expanded coercive recruitment tactics beyond Penza, targeting men in multiple regions across Russia.
Lawyers and activists claim police often stop men under the pretext of identity checks before transferring them to military recruitment centers.
“People are literally being taken straight off the streets,” one legal adviser told RFE/RL. “Previously they mainly targeted intoxicated passersby. Now they’re taking men of all ages.”
Families describe forced recruitment
Relatives from several Russian regions recounted similar experiences.
One mother said her son was detained without documents and processed for deployment to Ukraine within an hour.
“He called me quietly and said, ‘They’re taking me to Ukraine.’ When I asked why he signed the contract, he replied, ‘I had to.'”
Another family from Vladivostok said 26-year-old Yaroslav Kubov was allegedly abducted after refusing an invitation from two men in civilian clothes. According to relatives, he was beaten, issued new military documents, and transferred to Rostov-on-Don, a major transit hub for Russian forces heading to Ukraine.
Other residents from Penza described elderly men and workers being detained while returning home from work, while some reported police forcing entry into private homes in search of potential recruits.
Human rights groups warn that these alleged practices reflect growing pressure on Russia’s recruitment system as the war continues and battlefield losses mount.
