Russian governor orders companies to select employees as 'candidates' for joining the military

Performance review just got a real edge.

How I, an evil manager, would approach this: 1. First I'd pick anyone I didn't personally like. 2. Then I'd pick out anyone whose attitude I didn't like. 3. Then pick out anyone with high medical bills (I'm in the US) 4. Next is low-performers. 5. Oh wait, I like Bob's wife. Bob should go too.

I think they mean "volunteer for tribute".

**From Business Insider’s Matthew Loh:**  A Russian governor has ordered large firms in his region to shortlist employees as "candidates" for military service, in a rare push for businesses to get involved with recruitment. The order — signed by Pavel Malkov, the governor of Ryazan, a region 130 miles southeast of Moscow — instructed companies with 150 or more workers to select their employees by September 20. These employees would be candidates for "military service under contract" with the Russian military, the notice said. In Russia, contract military service contributes to the bulk of recruitment for the Ukraine war and is meant to be voluntary. The new legislation, dated March 20, was reported this week by Russian independent media and open-source intelligence groups. The order is addressed to all business entities "regardless of their form of ownership," indicating that private and state-owned organizations are subject to the requirements. [Read more about the order.](https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-governor-ryazan-employee-businessses-candidates-join-military-recruitment-2026-4?utm_source=listnook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=insider-worldnews-sub-post)

Yet another sign that Russia is hurting BAD. Any halfway intelligent President would be leaning into NATO, propping up Ukraine and watching Putin die on the vine. Instead, we have a pants-shitting toddler losing a war with Iran, challenging birthright citizenship, sending ICE into airports and drooling on his Sharpie while he talks about leaving NATO.

In Mother Russia, you don’t apply for army… Army applies you.

Imagine instead of being "promoted" to customer, you get this.

In Russian HR speak, PIPs now stand for "Reticle National Resupplies"

>In Russia, contract military service contributes to the bulk of recruitment for the Ukraine war and is meant to be voluntary. Yeah, the government also hires more professional soldiers. This also happened in Afghanistan. They had more private soldiers working for hire than actual American troops on the ground.

You know this is a bribery law. Legalizing it

Scheduling a round of layoffs? Just select employees to join the military.

I’m expecting a mass swath of resignations to follow, because everyone’s got that supervisor who would just love to ship them to Donbas with a jammed rifle.

No no no you are not laid off. You are just enlisted!

So companies are going to pick their lowest performing employees? How will that work out in the battlefield?

company we are letting you go employee wait what doesa go mean exactly

I would select one of my superiors that we all secretly hate and see if the government catches the mistake.

It’s wild they can take over the US but still have so many problems at home

We’re all joking about it but imagine the real horror of getting a notice to serve on the front lines in Ukraine. Imagine going home from work that day, knowing next week you could be in a truck heading west to the meat grinder instead of sleeping in your nice cozy bed.

And people think layoffs are bad...

New fear unlocked. Holy shit 😳

Some people think this is a sign that Russia is hurting. I disagree, first of all its a small localized region. Secondly I think it indicates that Russia wont run out of creative ways to recruit for this war. Its all pretty horrific but Russia seems fully intent on continuing for as long as it takes. The fall they will experience later will be rough

That is a horrifying headline.

please dont let Trump see this.

Scary stuff but inevitable. You can possibly dodge a draft but it's very difficult to dodge the draft AND make a living at the same time. Using employers as cops was the logical next step.

State mandated corruption, just as forefathers intended lmao

To be fair with AI coming out managers should all ship out to Kharg. They're no longer needed.

Want to live? Better accept a pay cut and lend me your wife once a week.

what if employees starts to revolt? not that will ever happen, it's just a supposition.

Yup. Qutting on the spot

Wide open to employers taking bribes. Just like Russia likes it.

Damn, have they exhausted the prison population?

What happened to the 1.3million pre war army??? And the 200k mobilization?? And then next 60k mobilization???

I'm getting a EvilOverlord, Inc vibe going on here

Those corporate PIPs have a new ring to them...

Trump's reaction to this is, "Man! Why didn't I think of that!"

"Congratulations, Vasily, you've just been promoted. We're transferring you to Donetsk Oblast. There you will be our go to guy for catching suicide drones in this random open patch of mud."

Ooooh! Do this for companies that gave Trump money!

Speed running a lost generation at this point.

Jesus, Russia is so fucked.

Yeah this is basically how a lot of authoritarian regimes quietly purge people they don't like — makes it look voluntary on paper but everyone knows what's actually happening. Wild that they're just doing it openly now.

The company end of quarter ~~signing up~~ "bonus"

Tried reading this, but was unable to due to the paywall.

Losing-the-war indicator

What’s the difference between this and a general draft? Why don’t they do a draft at this point?

As I know this was a thing for a long time. My sister works in the local council's clinic and they were asked to provide a list of military candidates back in 2023.

OKR: Operation Killing Rate.

Mid level managers are going to see some serious brown nosing right about now.

Sometimes Russia feels like a testing ground for companies to test out stuff they eventually want to do around the world.

Send the person that keeps stealing lunches out of the break room.

Sorry jimbo you fail the cut the budget so your reward is the front lines. Good luck. Send in Karen from HR please.

How can they have an economy if... Oh its Russia, nevermind.

Unemployment is about to skyrocket from walkouts.

I'd sooner be jailed for killing my boss than being railroaded into that bullshit

It will be interesting to see if there's more political pushback from citizens as a draft penetrates into more and more communities.

Eh, it's a weird thing. The order itself contains zero sanctions for not sending anyone. And "candidates" kind of implies that some zealous and/or scared employers might send someone, that someone gets offered a contract with the military, they say "no" and leave. Aand, potentially, prosecutor's office might have a field day with this one, because recruitment is the federals' job, and you don't do federals' job.

That's actually a huge warning sign the russian war machine is running out of steam, or at least, this incarnation of the russian war machine. In russia, the population has an almost NIMBY approach to foreign policy. So long as it doesn't significantly affect my immediate family and such (read deaths or the destruction of my property) who cares? The only major unrest we've seen in russia was when putin attempted to conscript the general population back in (december?) 2022. He rapidly learned his lesson and walked it back. If regions have to resort to these kinds of tactics, it means that russia is running out of pretty much anyone who is financially willing (or desperate) enough to fight, which leaves only the option of force. To implement conscription is a HUGE gamble from putin, from what we've seen so far. Russians are (according to infamously unreliable russian polls, so grain of salt) growing tired of the war. Support for continuing the war is at about 25%. These kind of "soft" measures are probably better, but they too will soon run out, which leaves putin with a nasty dilemma. Don't get me wrong, russia could fight for another decade at least, if it so desired, but while its clear putins happy to do that, its a much bigger question on if russia is willing to.

Great way to get rid of dead wood protected by employment contracts