Russia Pressures Vulnerable Men to Join Ukraine War as Recruits Dwindle

WHO:

The Daily Beast - Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking recruits for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

CNN - Artem Klyga, a Russian military lawyer based in Berlin, said vulnerable men “simply do not have a chance to say no, simply do not know their rights.”

CNN - “Call to Conscience,” a coalition advising Russian conscripts and reservists on conscientious objection, reported an increase in forced-recruitment reports.

CNN - Janis Kluge, head of the Eastern Europe and Eurasia Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said regional recruitment practices may be tolerated by officials at the top.

CNN - New Alternative Route, an anti-war organization founded by Russian IT professionals in exile, collects information about forced mobilization and advises people seeking to leave Russia.

CNN - Igor, a 21-year-old from central Russia identified by a pseudonym, said he left Russia after being pressured twice to sign military contracts.

WHAT:

CNN - Lawyers and human-rights groups reported that Russian recruiters increasingly use coercion and deception to enlist vulnerable men, including people with debt, alcohol problems, or health conditions.

CNN - A man in his late 50s with vascular problems and alcoholism was reportedly misled into signing a military contract. He later contacted his family from a training ground in Luhansk and was reported missing in action.

CNN - A second man, reportedly detained while intoxicated, signed a contract and was reported missing in action less than a month later. A military prosecutor’s office said he had appeared voluntarily.

The Daily Beast - A family said their relative was taken away while drunk; military prosecutors maintained he enlisted voluntarily.

CNN - Regional authorities offer payments for successful enlistments. Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov announced bonuses of 50,000–300,000 rubles, approximately $590–$3,500, per contract soldier. CNN reported finding similar payments and recruitment job ads in multiple regions.

CNN - Russia has relied largely on financial incentives since its 2022 mass mobilization, which prompted hundreds of thousands to flee abroad.

WHERE:

CNN - The reported recruitment cases took place in western Russia; accounts also identified the Penza region, about 375 miles south of Moscow, as a hotspot.

CNN - The first man said he was at a training ground in Luhansk, in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine.

WHY:

CNN - Rising battlefield casualties and falling recruitment numbers have increased pressure to find soldiers without another nationwide mobilization.

HOW:

CNN - Accounts describe men being approached by unidentified people, sometimes in civilian clothes, and pressured or deceived into signing contracts. Relatives and rights groups said some recruiters may be seeking enlistment bonuses.

(UPDATED October 27, 2026 01:32 UTC)

Russian recruiters are increasingly using coercion and deception to enlist vulnerable men for the war in Ukraine, as battlefield casualties rise and recruitment falls. Lawyers and rights groups describe men with debt, health problems or alcohol issues being pressured into signing contracts, with some later reported missing in action; officials have said some enlisted voluntarily. Regional authorities offer bonuses for successful enlistments, and Russian military lawyer Artem Klyga says vulnerable men often don’t know their rights or have a real chance to refuse.