Politico: In Some Regions, Russians Have Begun Resisting Mobilization

• 28.08.2026, 12:26

Potential conscripts are not only responding by fleeing en masse to Georgia.

Russians have begun leaving the country en masse amid fears that the Kremlin is preparing to announce a new wave of mobilization to replenish the army, according to Politico.

In just one week, more than 113,000 Russians crossed the border through the Verkhny Lars checkpoint on the Russian-Georgian border. The sharp increase in the number of people leaving is attributed to fears of a possible draft.

“At the same time, Russian authorities officially deny that a new mobilization is being prepared. However, the Kremlin is simultaneously strengthening its system for registering and recruiting reservists. Employers have been required to provide the government with the personal data of potential military personnel, and reservists are being assigned to military units in advance,” the article states.

Electronic draft notices have become an additional tool. Upon receiving one, a person subject to military service may automatically be barred from leaving the country. The Russian Guard’s involvement in activities related to locating and conscripting people is also expanding.

According to Ukrainian estimates, Russian losses on the front lines already exceed the capacity to recruit new volunteers. Human rights activists believe that the previous system of attracting people through large payments and the recruitment of prisoners is gradually running its course.

“The social contract between the state and the population is showing more and more cracks,” experts note.

The Kremlin’s attempts to find alternative ways to replenish the army are also facing challenges. In particular, the program to recruit students into unmanned systems units has not lived up to expectations. In some regions, pressure on potential conscripts is already sparking resistance and grassroots organizing.