In Novosibirsk, men are handed military draft notices outside polling stations

In Novosibirsk, representatives of the local military enlistment office were reportedly stationed outside a university dormitory at 75 Krasny Prospekt, where one of the city's polling stations is located, handing out draft notices to men on the spot. The news was shared on Telegram by Roman Malozyomov, a local activist living in Novosibirsk, citing an alarmed eyewitness.

"I went to vote, and outside the dormitory a military commission was calling all the guys over and handing out summonses. Is this even legal?" the activist quoted one voter as saying. Another witness said that nearly every man at the polling station was being pressured to sign a military contract. "I nearly fled the polling station," he admitted. Photos and videos from the scene were also published.

Elections amid talk of mobilization

The post from Malozyomov's blog was later picked up by independent Russian outlets operating in exile, including "Important Stories" (Важные истории) and "Echo" (Эхо).

Voting for Russia's State Duma — the lower house of parliament — is being held from Friday through Sunday. These are the first parliamentary elections in Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Voting has also been organized in occupied Ukrainian territories.

Even before the elections began, observers speculated that Russian President Vladimir Putin might announce a new wave of mobilization once they concluded. The Kremlin has officially denied this.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz