Fears of forced mobilisation grow in Russia as round-ups spike

The Russian aid group Idite Lesom says street detentions and workplace round-ups aimed at pressuring men into military contracts have surged since mid-August, with cases reported from Novorossiysk to Birobidzhan. Russian officials deny planning a new mobilisation, but Western intelligence has told the Wall Street Journal that mobilisation-readiness drills took place in Kaliningrad in July. Russia has had roughly 1.4 million troops killed or wounded since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with monthly losses now outpacing new contract recruitment.

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