Panic in Penza as Mass Military Raids Reportedly Target Draft Evaders

Residents of Penza are gripped by panic following widespread reports of mass raids conducted by military and law enforcement officials. Multiple sources, including the Telegram channel 'Razgovory o Vatnom' and the news outlet 'Govorit NeMoskva,' have confirmed that operations are taking place across the city and in nearby district centers such as Kamenka and Kuznetsk. Witnesses describe traffic police, masked individuals, and military enlistment officers stopping people and vehicles in central areas, including near the Sovremennik cinema, just 100 meters from the city hall.

According to accounts from residents, officers are checking for individuals who have failed to report for military service or have avoided the draft. Some reports indicate that city buses have been stopped and passengers inspected, while police are reportedly visiting apartments in the Spurnik residential district. One witness quoted by 'Govorit NeMoskva' stated, 'They were checking for military registration and looking for draft dodgers. Questions were primarily for those who had received a summons but never showed up at the enlistment office.'

The sense of panic has spread rapidly through phone calls, messaging apps, and social media, as residents warn each other to stay indoors. A cashier at a shopping center was reported to have shouted at a young male employee to remain inside and not go out to smoke because '[they] are watching from the enlistment office.' One local office worker noted, 'The whole office is on edge; parents called to warn their boys.' Despite the widespread anxiety, local authorities, including Governor Oleg Melnichenko and Mayor Oleg Denisov, have remained silent on the issue for hours, with no official statements or denials issued as of late evening.

Some commentators have linked the crackdown to a reported dressing-down Governor Melnichenko received from President Vladimir Putin in late April regarding recruitment targets for the war effort. Others note that such rumors have been circulating since spring, with hearsay of police staging drunk arrests to force contract signings. While these claims remain unverified, the current visible presence of military personnel and the sustained silence from officials have fueled fears that the region has intensified its enforcement of conscription rules amid ongoing military needs. The prominent local news outlet 'Penzainform' has not published direct reports on the raids, prompting residents to express their concerns and frustration in comments on unrelated posts.