Russia has recorded its first known case of a military reservist being prevented from leaving the country under a travel restriction imposed by a military enlistment office, according to a report published on Monday, Sept. 7.
The Moscow Times, citing the Russian anti-mobilization project Idite Lesom, reported that the restriction affected a 24-year-old resident of the Rostov region.
The man, who completed compulsory military service in 2024 and was subsequently placed in the reserve, attempted to fly abroad from Krasnodar on Sept. 2.
Border officers stopped him for an additional passport check and handed him an official notification imposing a “temporary restriction on the right to leave the Russian Federation.”
The restriction had been ordered by the military enlistment office where he was registered.
In November 2025, the man reported to the office after receiving a summons to update his military registration documents. Officials placed a mobilization order in his military identification papers during the visit.
However, Russia’s electronic summons register later listed the notice under the status “Citizen failed to appear.” The military enlistment office reportedly used that entry as the basis for imposing the travel ban.
The reservist said no restriction appeared in the electronic system when he checked before traveling. He only learned about it at the border.
Idite Lesom said it had previously assumed that electronic summonses issued to reservists would not trigger restrictions on foreign travel. The group cautioned that one documented case was insufficient to conclude that Russia had introduced a blanket exit ban for all reservists.
Travel bans appear during border checks
Complaints about sudden travel restrictions have increased since Russia fully launched its electronic military summons register in March.
Between Aug. 18 and 31, Idite Lesom received requests for assistance from 73 conscripts attempting to cross the Russian border. Fifty were able to leave, while 23 were denied permission.
Some travelers reported that no restriction was visible before their departure but appeared in the electronic register during passport control.
Attempts to leave through Belarus produced similar results. Of 11 conscripts who contacted the project, four crossed the border while seven were stopped.
The expanding restrictions come amid speculation that the Kremlin could launch another mobilization campaign after Russia’s September parliamentary elections. Western intelligence officials, several European officials and analysts at the Institute for the Study of War have said renewed mobilization cannot be ruled out as Moscow seeks to replace battlefield losses.