Russia’s military command is allegedly pressuring conscripts to “voluntarily” switch to contract service, sparking a new controversy.
This time, complaints are coming from Yakutia. Relatives say conscripts may have been pushed to sign contracts for professional military service. The issue was raised publicly by State Duma lawmaker Fedot Tumusov, who said mothers from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) approached him with the claims. He initially suspected the reports might be fake but, after speaking with the women, said their accounts appeared credible and warranted scrutiny.
The women allege their sons, serving mandatory terms in units in Russia’s Far East, faced pressure to sign contracts in formations based in Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur. They say the young men had completed only about two months of service before finding themselves in a situation where, they claim, there was no real choice.
Tumusov emphasized these are the private accounts of the complainants and that final conclusions should be left to the relevant authorities. He said he has filed official requests with Russia’s Ministry of Defense, the Investigative Committee and the military prosecutor’s office, urging formal checks.
The episode once again challenges the notion that Russia’s armed forces are entirely voluntary. Previous instances of pressure on conscripts to sign contracts with the Defense Ministry have been documented.
