Five Russian enlistment offices set on fire in protest against the war
from The Moscow Times, 22 April 2022
As many as five Russian military enlistment offices have been set on fire since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, independent Russian media reported Thursday.
The latest incident took place in the remote Mordovia region Monday, according to the 7×7 news website. Molotov cocktails destroyed several computers and a database of conscripts in the Zubova Polyana settlement. “The recruitment campaign in the [local] districts was put on pause,” media outlet iStories reported.
In March, local residents damaged military enlistment offices in the Voronezh, Sverdlovsk and Ivanovo regions with Molotov cocktails. Young men subsequently detained in Sverdlovsk and Ivanovo said they sought to disrupt the recruitment campaign in protest of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Four days after Russian troops entered Ukraine, a 21-year-old set fire to the enlistment office in the Moscow region town of Lukhovitsy. He said he wanted to destroy archives to prevent mobilization.
Those who have been detained face criminal charges ranging from property damage to attempted murder and terrorism.
Russian authorities have clamped down on anti-war protests, including with newly passed laws criminalizing the spread of “fake” information about the military’s actions.
Russia launched its spring draft this month, eyeing a recruitment goal of 134,500 men by July 15.
The Russian military holds two annual draft sessions, in spring and autumn, when it recruits eligible men aged 18 to 27 to serve for a year in the armed forces.
