--- title: "Getting them drunk and hauling them to draft boards: 'ATESH' partisans reveal new conscription scheme in occupied Donetsk" description: "The 'ATESH' partisan movement claims that in occupied Donetsk, drunk men are being taken to military registration offices and forced to sign contracts with the Russian army. The movement also warns of preparations for a mass mobilization in September." date: 2026-08-28T05:22:03.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/atesh-drunk-conscription-russian-army-donetsk-en tags: [russia, mobilization, donetsk, atesh, ukraine-war, recruitment] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Getting them drunk and hauling them to draft boards: 'ATESH' partisans reveal new conscription scheme in occupied Donetsk ![Rows of Russian occupation forces with Z emblem in camouflage](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/28/atesh-verbovka-pyanyh-v-armiyu-rossii-donetsk/atesh-verbovka-pyanyh-v-armiyu-rossii-donetsk-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - According to the 'ATESH' movement, in occupied Donetsk, drunk men are being taken to military registration offices and, under pressure, forced to sign contracts with the Russian army. - The movement claims that such 'volunteers' have already been identified in the 328th Guards Airborne Assault Regiment and the 77th Motor Rifle Regiment. - 'ATESH' warns of preparations for a large-scale mobilization in September, with an estimate of up to 600,000 people. - Against the backdrop of claims about covert mobilization, an outflow of around 40,000 people from Russia to Georgia via Upper Lars has been reported. - All key claims come from a single partisan source and are not corroborated by independent or official data. Russian recruiters in occupied Donetsk, according to the 'ATESH' partisan movement, have begun using a new scheme to enlist men into the Russian army. As reported by RBC-Ukraine citing the organization, potential contract soldiers are being sought out in bars and on the streets, and then people in a state of heavy intoxication are taken to military registration offices, where pressure is applied to force them to sign a contract with the Russian army. ### The conscription scheme: from bars to draft boards This was reportedly stated by an agent of the partisan movement who, the organization claims, works in the headquarters of the 'Dnipro' cluster of forces. According to him, the key element of the scheme is the use of people in a state of heavy alcohol intoxication: they are brought to military registration offices, where, under pressure, attempts are made to process a contract with the armed forces of the Russian Federation. The movement states that the first such 'volunteers' are already listed in the ranks of Russian units fighting against Ukraine. ### Where the 'volunteers' end up According to 'ATESH', new servicemen recruited through this scheme have already been identified in the 328th Guards Airborne Assault Regiment on the Zaporizhzhia direction and in the 77th Separate Motor Rifle Regiment in Donetsk Oblast. The partisans claim that such servicemen are being used to replenish losses in units that the Russian command continues to commit to assault operations at the front. ### Signs of preparation for a large-scale mobilization In addition to the specific conscription scheme, the movement states that a growing body of evidence points to the Russian authorities preparing a large-scale mobilization as early as September. According to 'ATESH' estimates, this could involve the conscription of up to 600,000 people. The partisans also appealed to employees of Russian military registration offices and local administrations, urging them to pass on information about the mobilization measures being prepared. ### Broader context: covert mobilization and outflow from Russia These statements fit into a broader context of the intensification of so-called covert mobilization in Russia. According to the same publication, men of conscription age have begun to be 'accidentally' removed from international flights. Amid fears that a full-scale mobilization will be declared in the autumn, over the past few days approximately 40,000 people have reportedly left Russia for Georgia; the Upper Lars border crossing is reportedly seeing a massive influx of Russian men. ### Contradictory data It is important to emphasize that the central claims about the scheme of conscripting drunk men and about the preparation of a mobilization of 600,000 people come from a single source β€” the 'ATESH' partisan movement β€” and are not corroborated by independent or official data. Russian authorities do not acknowledge such practices, and the figure of 600,000 is an estimate by the movement itself, not a documented plan. Similarly, the information about removal from flights and the outflow of around 40,000 people to Georgia relies on the publication's reporting and has not been verified by third-party sources. Therefore, the facts set out below should be regarded as claims by one side of the conflict, requiring further verification. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Getting them drunk and forcing them to sign contracts: 'ATESH' partisans on conscription into the Russian army in Donetsk](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/spoyuyut-i-tisnut-pidpisati-kontrakt-ruh-1787891986.html) - Π Π‘Πšβ€‘Π£ΠΊΡ€Π°ΠΈΠ½Π° ΠΎΠΏΡƒΠ±Π»ΠΈΠΊΠΎΠ²Π°Π»ΠΎ заявлСниС двиТСния «АВЕШ» ΠΎ схСмС Π²Π΅Ρ€Π±ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΠΈ ΠΏΡŒΡΠ½Ρ‹Ρ… ΠΌΡƒΠΆΡ‡ΠΈΠ½ Π² Π”ΠΎΠ½Π΅Ρ†ΠΊΠ΅ ΠΈ ΠΎ ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Π³ΠΎΡ‚ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΠ΅ ΠΌΠΎΠ±ΠΈΠ»ΠΈΠ·Π°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ Π΄ΠΎ 600 тыс. Ρ‡Π΅Π»ΠΎΠ²Π΅ΠΊ. Π€Π°ΠΊΡ‚ ΠΏΡƒΠ±Π»ΠΈΠΊΠ°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½; содСрТаниС β€” заявлСниС ΠΎΠ΄Π½ΠΎΠΉ стороны, Π½Π΅ Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΈΡ„ΠΈΡ†ΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²Π°Π½ΠΎ нСзависимо. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What, according to 'ATESH', are recruiters doing in occupied Donetsk? **A:** The movement claims that recruiters are seeking out potential contract soldiers in bars and on the streets, and that people in a state of heavy intoxication are being taken to military registration offices, where, under pressure, they are forced to sign contracts with the Russian army. ### Q: In which units, according to the movement, did such 'volunteers' end up? **A:** 'ATESH' claims they have appeared in the 328th Guards Airborne Assault Regiment on the Zaporizhzhia direction and in the 77th Separate Motor Rifle Regiment in Donetsk Oblast. ### Q: What scale of mobilization does 'ATESH' forecast? **A:** According to the movement's estimate, Russian authorities may be preparing a large-scale mobilization in September of up to 600,000 people. This figure is an estimate by the movement itself and has not been officially confirmed. ### Q: Have these data been independently verified? **A:** No. The central claims come from a single partisan source and have not been verified by independent or official data; Russian authorities do not acknowledge such practices.