Anonymous hackers have breached a key developer of Russia’s digital military draft system, the head of the draft-dodging nonprofit Idite Lesom said Thursday.
“For the next few months, the system (which holds 30 million records) will not be able to send people off to kill or die,” Grigory Sverdlin wrote on Facebook.
Sverdlin said his group received a large set of documents from the hackers, including the source code, technical documentation and internal communications from the developer, Russia’s software and digital solutions provider Micord.
Micord’s website said it was under “technical maintenance” when it was accessed on Thursday.
The exiled investigative news outlet IStories, which received the documents from Idite Lesom, said it confirmed the breach with Micord director Ramil Gabdrahmanov.
“Listen, it could happen to anyone. Many are being attacked right now.” Gabdrahmanov was quoted as saying.
He declined to confirm Micord’s work on Russia’s unified military registration database, saying “we work on many different projects.” IStories said it was able to independently authenticate Micord’s involvement in the digital database.
Some users told Sverdlin they were still able to access the database website, though it was not immediately clear if electronic summonses were affected.
Russia’s Defense Ministry called claims of the data breach “fake news” and said the registry was operating as normal.
“The registry has been repeatedly subjected to hacking attacks. They have all been successfully repelled,” the ministry said, adding that attempts to disrupt the registry have so far “failed to achieve their objectives.”
The centralized digital registry of draft-eligible men aged between 18 and 30 is part of the Russian military’s wartime overhaul of its inefficient paper-based system. The registry allows authorities to issue a summons online, eliminating the requirement for in-person delivery.
Russia’s fall 2025 military draft was expected to involve the digital system in four regions including Moscow from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.
Idite Lesom’s Sverdlin said Thursday that the online system, which faced multiple delays after its intended launch in November 2024, is still not yet fully operational.
Once fully operational, the online system automatically restricts draftees’ rights, including issuing automatic travel bans, for failing to report for compulsory service.
President Vladimir Putin ordered the creation of the unified military draft database in 2022, after the “partial” mobilization of some 300,000 reservists exposed deficiencies in military recruitment and led to a large-scale exodus of Russians.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
