Mass roundups in Penza: men forced to sign military contracts

Russian security forces in Penza have been conducting mass street roundups of men, detaining them and pressuring them to sign military service contracts with the Ministry of Defence. Video footage published on June 17 showed women trying to free men held in a bus guarded by military personnel. Human rights experts warn this could signal a new wave of forced mobilisation spreading to other Russian cities.

Military enlistment offices in Penza, Russia, backed by law enforcement, have launched mass roundups of men on the streets, with detainees reportedly being coerced into signing military contracts with the Ministry of Defence. The operation came to public attention on June 17, 2026, when local resident Natalya Solomina posted a video to VKontakte showing women trying to pull men out of a bus guarded by a military convoy. The independent outlet Mediazona confirmed the footage was filmed outside the military commissariat of the Oktyabrsky and Zheleznodorozhny districts of the city.

Chaotic detentions, not targeted arrests

According to reports emerging in independent media and human rights Telegram channels, the detentions appear largely indiscriminate. Primary targets seem to be men who previously received a summons but never reported, though witnesses describe men being picked up simply for minor traffic violations or for being intoxicated in public. After detention, the men are reportedly pressured to sign military service contracts.

Artyom Klyga, head of the legal department at the Movement of Conscientious Objectors, said the situation in Penza is fundamentally different from the targeted conscription roundups seen in Moscow, where authorities typically seek specific individuals evading mandatory military service. «What we saw is alarming. Previously, such raids were more performative, three or four military commissariat staff would stand in front of cameras at an airport and hand out summonses,» Klyga said.

Timofey Vaskin, head of the legal department at the School of Conscripts, cautioned that much of the information is still unverified: «These are mostly reports of the 'I saw it, someone told me' variety. There are those whose men were actually taken, but the specific circumstances remain unclear. We cannot say exactly what is happening, who is at risk, or what is being done to them.»

Authorities deny wrongdoing

By midday on June 19, the Interior Ministry of the Penza Region issued an official statement claiming that reports of mass detentions and forced contract signings «do not reflect reality.» The ministry stated that police were merely «assisting» the military investigative branch of the Investigative Committee in routine checks targeting men who had obtained Russian citizenship but failed to register for military service.

Local city media in Penza did not cover the events at all, an omission noticed by the outlet iStories, whose readers reportedly expressed outrage in comment sections at the silence of local journalists.

What comes next, and how to protect yourself

Human rights lawyers warn the Penza scenario could represent the template for the next wave of Russian mobilisation. Lawyer Alexei Tabalov has suggested this pattern of street roundups may become more widespread across Russia's regions.

Rights advocates say avoiding detention in such situations is «practically impossible.» However, they advise men to prepare in advance by issuing a power of attorney to a trusted relative so that family members can act on their behalf, seek lawyers, and contact relevant authorities if detention occurs.

If detained, experts recommend filming everything, documenting addresses, times, the names of those detained and those carrying out the detention. Those recordings can be uploaded online and used as evidence in any future legal proceedings, including efforts to nullify a contract signed under duress. Complaints should be filed with the prosecutor's office, the Investigative Committee, the Ministry of Defence, the human rights ombudsman, and the courts.

Vaskin's most emphatic advice for anyone forced to sign a contract: «Run, find a lawyer, and turn yourself in to the Investigative Committee so the matter is resolved within a criminal case framework.» Above all, rights groups stress that signing nothing and holding firm remains the most important strategy.