Russian authorities have intensified a nationwide crackdown on fitness centers and martial arts clubs, targeting both migrants and draft-age men as the country’s spring military draft gets underway.
In late March, law enforcement officers conducted a raid at a Spirit Fitness location in southwest Moscow, forcing patrons to lie face down while officers separated individuals based on appearance, according to witnesses.
“So there I am, running on the treadmill, minding my own business, watching Dota, chasing my best shape, when someone suddenly taps me on the shoulder,” one gym-goer recounted to local media. “I get off the treadmill and see that everyone else is already lying face down on the floor.”
The witness, who had proper documentation, was released without issue. “But the guys who had been dodging the enlistment office and didn’t have their passports — they ran into trouble,” he added.
Similar operations have occurred at other Spirit Fitness locations and gyms across St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, Yekaterinburg, and Krasnodar, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s regional news service Sever Realii. In Krasnodar, officers reportedly interrupted a children’s martial arts class, forcing both the children and their parents to lie on the floor.
Legal professionals told Sever Realii that such raids now occur approximately twice monthly in major cities. Russian citizens typically face transfer to military enlistment offices, while foreign nationals are sent to detention centers with many ultimately facing deportation.
During one raid, military personnel reportedly accompanied police to distribute conscription notices directly. Rights advocates claim authorities are specifically targeting naturalized citizens who obtained Russian passports but avoided military service, pressuring them to sign military contracts under threats of deportation or citizenship revocation.
Human rights activist Valentina Chupik told Sever Realii that police often fabricate disorderly conduct violations to justify deportations. Another activist, identified only as Alexander, reported that sports facilities popular with ethnic minorities have faced consistent raids over the past two months.
“It’s long been known that Russian authorities view mass sports activity among ethnic minorities with suspicion, considering these clubs ‘breeding grounds for extremism,'” Alexander told the U.S.-funded outlet. “After the Crocus attack, law enforcement has been making regular rounds at ‘non-Slavic’ gyms like it’s their day job.”
The March 2024 attack at Crocus City Hall, allegedly carried out by Tajik nationals, triggered widespread detentions of migrants. Last year, Russia deported over 80,000 foreign nationals — nearly double the previous year’s figure, according to Russia’s Federal Bailiff Service.
New regulations implemented in February have simplified deportation procedures and expanded Russia’s “controlled persons registry.” Individuals placed on this registry face severe restrictions, including prohibitions on travel, banking, driving, marriage, and sending more than 30,000 rubles ($365) monthly — effectively blocking remittances to home countries.
Between April 16 and 23, Sever Realii documented more than 200 cases of illegal detentions targeting migrants and draft-age men in Moscow and St. Petersburg alone, suggesting accelerated efforts to fill military ranks.
According to activist Alexander, law enforcement has recently broadened their focus. In the weeks preceding Russia’s spring conscription, which began April 1, authorities increasingly targeted gyms where ethnic minorities are not typically the majority.
“It seems the trend has changed: now they’re more interested in grabbing people for the draft office than sending them to migrant detention,” he told Sever Realii.
