Dagestani journalists analyse situation with raids against draft dodgers

The current situation with the conscription in Dagestan is not entirely clear, and people lack information. There were no so many complaints about the law enforcers’ actions even against the backdrop of mobilization. But in each case, it is necessary to figure out whether there are actually violations of rights, abuse of power, and then, if necessary, these actions are to be challenged, note interviewed journalists from Dagestan.

Journalist Milrad Fatullaev claims he cannot confirm reports that law enforcers carry out mass raids.

“That people are being searched for, forcibly detained, and forced into some cars … We have not noted such information,” journalist Milrad Fatullaev told the “Caucasian Knot”.

According to the journalist’s information, the conscription is being carried out in a regular way. “There is a conscription plan, and it has always existed: autumn, spring conscription. The number of conscripts has always been practically unchanged. Our military registration and enlistment offices were to fulfil the conscription plan. Another matter is that, say, some number of conscripts could decrease, because those who wanted to serve in the army could easily volunteer under a military contract. If they want to receive remuneration, even if they end up on the front line, then there is no sense for them to join the army as ordinary conscripts. The above could lead to the fact that some number of conscripts decreased, and, therefore, it became somewhat more difficult for military registration and enlistment offices to fulfil the set-up conscription plans,” Milrad Fatullaev noted.

Earlier, 3400 citizens were called up from the Republic of Dagestan as part of the autumn conscription campaign.

At the same time, journalist Milrad Fatullaev has not ruled out some actions to search for draft dodgers.

“As for individual cases when conscripts are being sought somewhere, this may be due to a situation of violation of the procedure for registering citizens for military service. That is, we are talking about those who are already evading conscription and are wanted. Another matter is that special attention is now being paid to the evasion of military service in connection with the special military operation (SMO),” Milrad Fatullaev explained.

This is now being given special attention in connection with the special military operation

Meanwhile, another Dagestani journalist, who preferred to remain anonymous, has reported that law enforcers’ raids on conscripts are regular and have been carried out in Makhachkala regularly over the past 15-20 years.

Law enforcers’ raids on conscripts are regular and have been carried out in Makhachkala regularly over the past 15-20 years

“As confirmation of the above, we can take the statements of the conscripts themselves, their parents, as well as numerous photos and videos of those events. As a rule, all young people of conscription age become victims of such law enforcers’ raids. After being delivered to a military registration and enlistment office, the young people are being sorted: conscripts and draft dodgers remain, and those with deferments go home. It is important here that students with university student cards may not be affected by a law enforcers’ raid, but technical school graduates would still be brought to a military registration and enlistment office,” the Dagestani journalist noted.

He believes that the local police always play an active role in the events described above.

“Police inspectors, together with military registration and enlistment office employees, conduct raids and provide the force component of the events,” the Dagestani journalist states.

As for how to circumvent deferments for students, then in a number of cases, as the journalist notes, a “rather mean option” is being used.

“Students, who completed the ninth grade at school, entered a special educational institution and then a university, are considered to have used their constitutional right to a deferment for the duration of their studies, and therefore they are being called up for military service,” the Dagestani journalist explained.

Journalist Idris Yusupov* claims that reports of problems with the conscription began to appear at the beginning of this year.

“Even against the backdrop of mobilization, there were no so many reports of violations. The situation was such that those who did not want to go to the military service left or tried to refuse the conscription under various pretexts. And those who were mobilized or called up joined the army. Even despite the fact that there were protests, there was no so many case of evasion then, in my opinion,” Idris Yusupov* stated. He notes that the current situation with the conscription is not entirely clear.

“There are no clear explanations on the issue. On the one hand, officials from military registration and enlistment offices report that everything is proceeding as usual. On the other hand, at a recent meeting, Makhachkala city Mayor Yusup Umarov expressed his concern over the insufficient number of conscripts,” Idris Yusupov* noted.

According to the journalist’s information, now officials may be talking about raids on “draft dodgers.” Idris Yusupov* has also noted that due to the lack of information, people may have questions about deferments for students.

We need to figure out whether there are violations, abuse of power...  This is a question,  also for those people whose rights have been violated, to what extent are they ready to appeal against those unlawful actions 

“Here we need to pay attention to the following: if a person entered a university immediately after finishing a school, then he has a deferment for the period of his studies. And if he studied at a college after finishing a school and later entered a university, then he used the deferment for the period of study at the college, and he may be called up during his studies at the university. The same applies to those who fall under the conscription age and who were not called up for military service earlier: they may be called up after they complete their studies, while the conditions for their conscription are met,” Idris Yusupov* explained.

“We need to figure out whether there are violations, abuse of power when persons are being brought to police departments and then to military registration and enlistment offices within the ‘one day’ conscription. This is a question, of course, also for those people whose rights have been violated, to what extent are they ready to appeal against those unlawful actions with the participation of lawyers, advocates, human rights defenders, and the media? It is not about just writing somewhere on social networking services. I know of only several cases when citizens appealed against violations of their rights,” Idris Yusupov* claimed.

This was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 11, 2025 at 07:49 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here. 

*On November 24, 2023, the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) included Idris Yusupov in the register of foreign agents. The journalist filed an appeal against the MoJ’s decision.