Russian conscripts in a military unit in Chebarkul were enrolled as contractors without their knowledge.

The Telegram channel Ostorozhno_novosti reported on this.

Conscript soldiers complained that they received payment for signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense, although they had not signed anything and refused such offers.

Two conscripts shared that they had received such a payment. One of them was drafted in late May and is now serving in a military unit in Chebarkul, and the other has been serving since December and is just on his way to Chebarkul.

For example, in September, they received first RUB 305 thousand from the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Tatarstan, and then RUB 400 thousand as a “one-time payment to servicemen who signed a contract between August 1 and December 31, 2024, to perform military tasks for a year or more.”

“I have not signed anything anywhere, and I categorically refuse this money. My fellow soldiers and I were repeatedly approached by campaigners who tried to lure us into signing a contract by all means, but we stood our ground, did not sign anything, and refused everything. I didn’t sign anything and wasn’t going to,” one of the conscripts told the channel.

Involuntary signing of a contract

This is not the first time a contract with the Russian army has been signed through deception or coercion. However, previous contracts mostly concerned the recruitment of foreigners.

In September 2024, it was reported that a labor agent deceived fourteen men from Ghana into joining the Russian military.

14 migrants set off from Ghana to Russia via Togo on Sunday, August 4, 2024, with the promise of well-paid jobs in Russia.

Shortly after their arrival, they were taken to Kostroma to sign what they believed was a labor contract. However, it turned out to be a contract for military service with the Russian army for the war in Ukraine.

On September 17, it was reported that the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry sent a note to the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with Azerbaijanis detained in Chechnya. They were allegedly sent to war against Ukraine by force.

On September 13, 2024, it was reported that 45 Indian citizens had been rescued from the war zone and discharged from the Russian military. 45 Indian citizens were illegally recruited to join the Russian army and fight on the front lines against Ukraine. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the issue of their release during his visit to Moscow.