The Russian Ministry of Defense has reportedly begun posting advertisements on the Avito classifieds website for individuals with HIV and hepatitis to enlist as contract soldiers, according to information from September 4-7, 2025. This move is part of a reported plan to create special regiments for soldiers infected with these diseases, a practice that mirrors that of the Wagner Group. Infected soldiers will allegedly wear armbands to signify their health status. In August, nearly 35,000 new contract soldiers were enlisted, and information on male university students in Moscow is now being automatically entered into the Unified Register of social benefit recipients. The creation of these specialized regiments aims to address an epidemic of infectious diseases within the military. The source for these claims is cited as a report from September 4-7, 2025, with further details shared via X on September 7th. Previous reports indicated radar alerts across Russia, including the Black Sea coast, between 11:45 PM UTC on September 8th and 12:15 AM UTC on September 9th, with a specific alert for "PCR Neptune" noted on the Black Sea coast. Additionally, on September 9th, the Atesh movement reported that the Russian army was transferring equipment from the Leningrad Region towards the front lines, with military columns observed near the village of Kirilovskoye.
