Putin rejects mobilization rumors, many Russians unconvinced

Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly dismissed rumors of a mobilization campaign in September, calling them "complete nonsense" and "an information attack against Russia." At the Economic Forum in Vladivostok on September 3, Putin stated that there is no scenario that would require mobilization. However, many Russians remain unconvinced and express concerns about receiving draft notices and being called up for military service.

Some readers have shared anonymous accounts of receiving summonses for data verification, which they fear may lead to military conscription. Others worry about losing the ability to travel abroad freely. Reports from Russia's Penza region indicate that men have been forcibly taken to military enlistment offices and pressured into signing military contracts.

Local journalists have reported ongoing raids, with unknown individuals seizing men near apartment buildings. While receiving a military summons does not automatically mean deployment, lawyer Artem Klyga explains that such notices are part of improved military registration procedures. If mobilization is declared, individuals summoned would be required to report to their designated military enlistment office.

The 2022 decree on partial mobilization remains technically in force, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly described reports of a new mobilization wave as "fake stories." However, critics point out that Peskov also denied such reports in May 2022, just eight days before the partial mobilization announcement. Despite official denials, officials have been preparing for potential mobilization, as evidenced by job vacancies seeking specialists in mobilization preparedness.