In the Penza region, at least five people were fined for reporting forced recruitment. From August to September 2026, the courts of the Penza region examined five administrative cases against local residents who published notices about the forced recruitment of men in the region. All were found guilty under the article on "abuse" of freedom of communication (Part 9 of Article 13.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) and were fined 30 thousand rubles each. The reason for the investigation was publications in social networks and local communities. One woman relayed a message from a relative of a serviceman who said people were "reaching out indiscriminately." Another wrote that in Penza men are taken to a collection point, where they are "processed" and persuaded to sign contracts. Another resident posted a video with allegations of forcibly handing over men to the military registration and recruitment office and using torture and threats against them. In two other cases we talked about messages received from third parties: one person told the court that he learned about the mobilization from a taxi driver and did not have a permit, another published an audio recording with allegations of forced removal of the residents of the area to the combat zone. In June 2026, the Ministry of the Interior threatened the Penza region with responsibility for spreading reports of mass arrests of men who would be sent to "that way". This happened after videos appeared on the network in which local residents tried to recapture a minibus with detainees from the security forces. The media and eyewitnesses then reported on alleged attacks in Penza, Kamenka and Kuznetsk.

In the Penza region, at least five people were fined for reporting forced recruitment. From August to September 2026, the courts of the Penza region examined five administrative cases against local residents who published notices about the forced recruitment of men in the region. All were found guilty under the article on "abuse" of freedom of communication (Part 9 of Article 13.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) and were fined 30 thousand rubles each. The reason for the investigation was publications in social networks and local communities. One woman relayed a message from a relative of a serviceman who said people were "reaching out indiscriminately." Another wrote that in Penza men are taken to a collection point, where they are "processed" and persuaded to sign contracts. Another resident posted a video with allegations of forcibly handing over men to the military registration and recruitment office and using torture and threats against them. In two other cases we talked about messages received from third parties: one person told the court that he learned about the mobilization from a taxi driver and did not have a permit, another published an audio recording with allegations of forced removal of the residents of the area to the combat zone. In June 2026, the Ministry of the Interior threatened the Penza region with responsibility for spreading reports of mass arrests of men who would be sent to "that way". This happened after videos appeared on the network in which local residents tried to recapture a minibus with detainees from the security forces. The media and eyewitnesses then reported on alleged attacks in Penza, Kamenka and Kuznetsk.