Russian agents have broken into gyms from several cities in the country to recruit young men, according to activists and witnesses. The raids have occurred in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, Ekaterimburg and even Krasnodar, where the police acted with balaclava. Men have been forced to show their documents and, if they complied with the age and nationality criteria, have ended in enlistment offices.
President Vladimir Putin has approved a decree to incorporate 160,000 new soldiers. The spring offensive has converted training rooms into an extension of recruitment centers. The Italian newspaper It has revealed that the Russian authorities have used sports facilities as express capture spaces, especially as of March.
The Interior Ministry has deployed agents in gyms such as those of the Spirit Fitness circuit, very popular in the Moscow region. Women have been able to leave. Men, on the other hand, have forced them to stay. Right there, the police have separated them by nationality or perceived ethnicity, and have demanded the documentation.
Human Rights activist Valentina Chupik explained that Russians have been escorted directly to recruitment centers. Foreigners, on the other hand, have accused them of minor crimes, such as vandalism or migratory infractions, and have threatened deportation if they did not agree to enlist.
The testimonies have begun to multiply in social networks and in the media. A man who was in one of the facilities has counted: “I was on the tape watching a series. Suddenly someone touched my shoulder. I got off and I saw everyone on the floor, with my face against the pavement.” Another witness has detailed that he was not forced to lie down, but he was asked for the papers and took several of those present.
Anastasia, a neighbor on the outskirts of Moscow, has reported that her husband has already suffered an attempt to recruit forced two years ago. This time, they have dragged it again to a military center. “I ran with the papers, but they did not release it until the lawyer arrived. They told him that he had to return on day five, but it was not. He has taken vacations to prevent him from stopping on his way to work.”
