On Saturday evening, November 7, police carried out mass detentions near the Kitay-City metro station in central Moscow. According to the Telegram channel «Caution, Moscow», about 300 people were taken to internal affairs departments, while the Baza outlet reports over 200 detainees. Among them, according to eyewitnesses and the participants themselves, were minors. Detainees were mostly brought to the Basманный (Basmanny) and Tagansky police stations. By late evening and early night, the stations began releasing people: parents came to pick up the teenagers, but by the time reports were published, there was no exact data on whether all detainees had been released.
Draft Notices and Contracts: What Detainees Say
Several people brought to the stations told the «Caution, News» outlet that citizens over 18 inside the police vans were persistently urged to sign military service contracts. According to one detainee, they were handed military enlistment office summonses at the Tagansky police station; he also claimed that documents were given even to students who had a legal deferment from conscription. The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Moscow made no official mention of contract offers or draft notices, limiting its characterization of the event to «preventive measures» aimed at «maintaining public order and suppressing administrative offenses», including those related to drinking alcohol in public places.
Administrative Protocols and Use of Force
At least 17 detainees received administrative protocols for drinking alcohol in a public place; separate documents were issued for appearing intoxicated and disobeying police demands. Meanwhile, several people who spoke to RBC stated they were detained simply on the street without committing any violation. The mother of one teenager told the outlet that her son was punched twice in the stomach after offering «slight resistance.» Earlier, according to participants of detentions in this area that have been taking place since summer, cases of beatings by OMON riot police and the use of tasers were recorded.
Context: Why Kitay-City Specifically
The Kitay-City metro station area concentrates a large number of bars and nightclubs, and the adjacent park is traditionally popular with youth and teenagers who gather there for informal socializing. Detentions in this location, according to reports, have been carried out since the summer of 2026. Separately, Baza reported the closure of «Shaiba» — a courtyard area on Pokrovka Street where informal youth representatives usually gathered: the territory, according to the outlet, has been enclosed by a wooden fence.
Official Position and Open Questions
The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Moscow confirmed that «preventive measures» were conducted in the central part of the city, without disclosing the exact number of detainees or commenting on reports of military contract offers and the use of physical force. At the time of preparing this material, no independent confirmation had been received of all the details stated by detainees, including those concerning draft notices handed to students with deferments. The question of whether all people brought to the stations were released and whether additional protocols were drawn up remains open.
