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In Russia's Penza region, a troubling trend of mass abductions has been emerging since mid-June. Men are being taken off the streets, coerced into signing contracts with Russia's Defense Ministry, and subsequently sent to fight in Ukraine's ongoing conflict. Authorities employ various tactics to carry out these abductions, including deception, bribery, threats, and physical force.

Among those overseeing this operation could be Tamara Pavlutkina, head of the Bashmakovsky District administration and a member of the United Russia party, according to iStories.

Local journalists at iStories interviewed residents and discovered several methods used to abduct men. Some are dragged directly from their homes. A resident of Bashmakovo village, despite having health issues requiring medication, was taken while his mother was out shopping. Neighbors reported the man's disappearance, and he later explained his abduction to them.

Others are apprehended outside their front doors. In December 2024, a 42-year-old man was grabbed by a patrol while sitting outside his apartment building in Kuznetsk with a friend. He was taken to a draft office and vanished within a month. After 13 months of searching, his family learned he had been killed.

Abductions occur under various pretexts. Some involve a supposed visit to the district administration. In one case, a relative of a Bashmakovo resident managed to rescue Alexei Denisenko from an impending abduction. Another method involves promises of a new job. A Bashmakovo resident was offered a security guard position and instructed to obtain an ID in Tambov.

Instead, he was sent to Rostov and forced to sign a military contract. Some are taken directly from police stations. A man from the Belinsky district ended up in a police station after getting drunk, where he was subsequently sent to a military unit in Rostov.

Additionally, men are lured from establishments where alcohol is served. A woman from Kuznetsk district reported that a district administration employee routinely makes rounds to such places, offering drinks to men and subsequently luring them away. Once they are in the car, they are never seen again.