Conscript hunt: Raids to find men for the army are being carried out systematically in Penza.
Forceful raids to find men evading military registration have become a regular occurrence in the Penza region. Only their scale varies, while the raids themselves have been systematically carried out by officers from various agencies for over a year. Law enforcement officials are paying particular attention to motorists, migrants, and individuals who recently received Russian passports.
Summons on the Road: How the Systematic Practice of Raids Began
The security forces' raid in Penza, which sparked widespread public outcry, is far from the first in the region's history. Exactly one year ago, on June 18, 2025, the Russian National Guard officially reported on a large-scale "interdepartmental raid to identify violators of military registration."
During the roadside operation, law enforcement officers checked 80 motorists. Among them, nine Russian citizens were identified as having failed to register for military service at their place of residence in a timely manner.
"Each of them was served with official summonses by officers of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Penza Garrison," agency representatives publicly reported a year ago.
Security officials also added that they had conducted a special briefing with all the detained men. They were not only briefed on the rules for registering for military service but also given a thorough explanation of how to sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense for deployment to the front. Security officials had already promised that such activities "would be continued on a systematic basis in all districts of the region."
Raid Chronicle: Hundreds of Verified and Dozens of New Recruits
As the NeMoskva editorial team discovered, law enforcement agencies have fully fulfilled their promises—raids on men in the Penza region have become regular occurrences. The journalists reconstructed the history of similar inspections over the past year:
- July 15, 2025 — during a brutal raid involving riot police, official summonses to the military registration and enlistment office were handed to 10 Russian citizens;
- 4 August 2025 year — security forces identified and ordered another 15 motorists who held Russian passports but ignored registration to appear at military commissariats;
- 27 August 2025 year — 250 people were subject to mass checks on the streets and roads;
- January 20, 2026 — task forces discovered and brought to justice another 20 draft dodgers.
Human rights activists and observers note that during such events, law enforcement agencies traditionally pay special attention to migrant workers, as well as those who have received Russian citizenship relatively recently.
Information vacuum and panic in local public groups
Whether this systematic practice will continue in the Penza region on the same scale is currently unknown. Remarkably, neither the executive authorities nor the regional media outlets they control have yet published any substantive information about the latest raids.
This demonstrable information vacuum has become one of the main and most pressing topics of discussion in Penza's public groups and city chats about the recent raids. Residents of the region are openly expressing concern and sharing rumors about what's happening on the streets.
"Where's the news about men being packed up on the streets and sent off to war?" "Any other breaking news you want to cover?" "Hang in there, guys, or get out of here, the borders are closing soon. This isn't a joke. You'll remember later." "They say they're packing people onto buses," frightened Penza residents are writing en masse on social media.
