Russia mobilisation fears grow amid reports of intimidating tactics

Owing to his illness, 26-year-old Sasha from Orenburg, a city in Russia close to the Kazakhstan border, has a Category V military ID, which under normal circumstances makes him ineligible for service.But not during wartime.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Ukraine’s offensive against Russia causes petrol panic across Central Asialist 2 of 4Russia to seize poorly protected infrastructure amid Ukraine drone attackslist 3 of 4In Ukraine, forcible military recruitment efforts escalate into violencelist 4 of 4UK to help Ukraine build Storm Shadow long-range missiles: Why it mattersend of listJust before partial mobilisation was declared in 2022, he considered leaving for Kazakhstan. But while awaiting the bus, he struck up a conversation with his soon-to-be girlfriend.As they turned back together, they decided against making the drastic move.Over the past year, however, they have grown increasingly anxious.“Since mid-2025, my girlfriend and I have been experiencing a severe decline in mental health. We see psychiatrists and take antidepressants,” Sasha told Al Jazeera.He requested to be identified only by his first name to protect his anonymity.“I don’t go outside unless it’...