`Cannon fodder` for Putin`s war in Ukraine: Russia`s conscript catchers snatch men off the streets – WION

Conscript-catchers have started conducting shady raids in Moscow and St. Petersburg, despite Vladimir Putin's announcement that his military mobilisation is drawing to an end and that he has no plans to recruit any more people.

At a news conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, Putin stated that the "partial mobilisation" he had previously promised, which the defence minister claimed was intended to bring in 300,000 soldiers, was nearing its conclusion and would be over in two weeks.

"Nothing additional is planned. No proposals have been received from the defence ministry and I don't see any additional need in the foreseeable future," Putin said of his on-going mobilisation.

Also read |Putin's mobilisation chief found dead under 'suspicious circumstances'

"Now 222,000 people have been mobilised out of 300,000. Within about two weeks, all mobilisation activities will be completed."

The news comes at a time when police and enlistment officers have been seen prowling around apartment complexes and on street corners, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Armed recruiters have even gone door-to-door in search of men for mobilisation, and there are rumours that in certain cases recruiting teams are employing facial recognition technology to catch evaders.

"They are acting like dog catchers. It's sickening how they are dragging men away as cannon fodder," said one commenter.

Men of mobilisation age were stranded by the entrance of the Polyustrovo Park residential complex in St. Petersburg while summonses were being delivered.

According to Ostorozhno News, summonses were delivered in bulk at subway stations in Moscow.

Police officers interviewed the men, took their personal information, and then served some of them with summonses, according to witnesses. Some individuals are driven away in police vehicles.

The well-known attorney and human rights advocate Pavel Chikov issued a warning about "growing allegations of raids."

Senator Andrey Klishas of the pro-Putin United Russia party demanded investigations into the legality of removing men from the subway and conscripting them into battle.

To find potential dodgers, the authorities are using databases from the police, traffic police, FSB security service, and residential landlords.

Even though it was promised to Russians that 1 per centof the male population would be deployed to Putin's war, they are also storming offices to remove men of mobilisation age.

The raids to capture conscripts appear to refute Russian assurances that the first wave of mobilisation has ended and that a second round has not yet commenced.

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`Cannon fodder` for Putin`s war in Ukraine: Russia`s conscript catchers snatch men off the streets - WION