The group was formed in the village of Bashmakovo, about 130 kilometers from Penza, where unidentified men have been seizing people off the streets and forcing them to sign military contracts, according to Penza-based blogger Stanislav Morozov. He also published two videos that allegedly show local residents preventing recruiters from taking men away.
A woman cited by Stanislav Morozov, whose name 7x7 is withholding at her request, said her relative Viktor Balashov was sent to the war about six weeks ago. According to her, he was taken to the military enlistment office serving Penza's Oktyabrsky and Zheleznodorozhny districts, beaten, and forced to sign a contract.
Two other residents also told 7x7 that men in Bashmakovsky District have been forcibly sent to the war since at least the spring of 2026. However, neither had heard about the vigilante group in Bashmakovo. One of them said that if recruiters mistakenly seize underage boys, they "simply beat them and leave them in the woods."
A local animal rights activist told 7x7 that on March 3, Sergei Milkin was taken from his home in the village of Podgornoye to the local administration while intoxicated. Despite having a heart condition, he was sent to the war and was killed on March 27. A post written by his wife, Elena Pavlova, as well as the announcement of his death, remain available in a local social media community.
According to Balashov's relative, around 250 local residents joined the group in Bashmakovo. Some contributed financially and spread information, while others took shifts patrolling the village and nearby settlements. She believes District Head Tamara Pavlutkina is responsible for setting recruitment quotas. On July 27, several members of the group were summoned to the police for questioning and threatened that "everyone would be locked up" if the group's activities continued.
"Everything is calm in the district. It's business as usual. Social media is social media. These are not matters that can be discussed over the phone. This is the first I've heard about [the vigilante group and people being summoned to the police]," staff at the district administration's reception office told 7x7. They declined to put Pavlutkina on the phone, saying she was busy.
