This Russian City Is Asking Companies To Nominate Employees For Military Service

A covert recruitment for the army is reportedly underway in Russia, with big companies being asked to nominate employees for military service.

An order, signed by Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov, has asked large firms in the region to shortlist employees as "candidates" for military service, according to Business Insider. This marks a rare push for all the businesses to get involved with the recruitment drive.

The number of candidates depends on the company's size. The new legislation, dated March 20, asks businesses and institutions with 150-300 workers to submit at least two names, while those with 300-500 workers are required to designate three. Firms with 500 or more employees need to submit five names.

All the companies, including both private and state enterprises, have been ordered to select their employees by September 20. As of now, Malkov's order does not mention any penalties for failing to submit the quotas on time.

In effect, this move has created a new form of pressure on employers, who have become a part of the recruitment system, and established a mechanism for hidden mobilisation without an official announcement, according to Euromaidan Press.

What Will They Do?

The employees will be candidates for "military service under contract" with the Russian army, the notice stated. The contract military service contributes to the bulk of recruitment for the ongoing Ukraine war and is meant to be voluntary, the report added.

The latest order has been addressed to all business entities in the region, "regardless of their form of ownership".

It cited two decrees signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022 putting the country under heightened readiness amid its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The local law in Ryazan notes that businesses obstructing these decrees might face fines of up to 1 million rubles, or about Rs 11.50 lakh.

This comes at a time when the country has been aggressively looking for ways to find new troops amid heavy losses in Ukraine. It is reportedly offering large sign-up bonuses to the citizens and allegedly leaning on informal or covert overseas recruitment networks.

In 2025, Moscow said that more than 4,20,000 people signed up for military contracts. The recruitment rate has since reportedly dwindled in larger cities, where people are now wary of joining the conflict.