Telegram Blocks 600-Subscriber Penza Channel Tracking Russian Roundups of Men

1 articles · Updated · Meduza · Jun 23

By June 23, Penza Telegram channel Novosti Proiskhodiashchego had been reduced to a blocking notice and a link urging readers to join a new private channel.
The channel emerged in mid-June as residents posted accounts of raids and roundups of conscription-age men allegedly pressured to sign military service contracts.
Within 3 days, it drew more than 600 subscribers, becoming a focal point for reports that independent outlet 7×7 said were still visible on the evening of June 22.
On June 21, Penza police warned that people would face liability for spreading what they called false claims about men being detained for dispatch to the SVO zone.
The episode highlights tightening pressure on channels documenting alleged coercive recruitment in Russia, even when officials do not publicly name the targeted source.