Sergei Mulivanov, 59, who moved to Russia from Latvia, was taken from Moscow to the combat zone even though he refused to sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ostorozhno, Novosti reports, citing the man’s acquaintances and relatives. They have not heard from him for six days and have no information on his whereabouts.
Two years ago, Mulivanov, who was a member of the council of the Latvian Russian Union party, left his home country due to dissatisfaction with government policies. He opposed restrictions on the Russian language and was against the provision of aid to Ukraine. After moving to the Moscow Region, he obtained Russian citizenship and got a job as a courier. According to Mulivanov’s relatives, his employers turned out to be fraudsters, and he was unknowingly involved in transporting stolen money. In April, he was detained in a fraud case and refused to plead guilty.
Acquaintances claim that Mulivanov was tricked into filing an application and signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense around the time of his arrest last spring. His lawyer said:
“Both documents are undated. The dates were put in only now, in October 2026. A signature that is half a year old was processed as if it had been made just the other day.”
On Oct. 28, Mulivanov and his lawyer were told that he was being sent to war and that the fraud case against was being suspended. Both the accused and his defense responded by writing formal refusals.
After a hearing on Oct. 30, Mulivanov was taken to the Russian Investigative Committee, where officials again tried to get his signature. He refused to sign anything without a lawyer present but was apparently put on a bus to Rostov nevertheless. His relatives say he called them from the road.
Mulivanov has type 2 diabetes and suffers from polyneuropathy. According to his defense, he did not undergo an examination by a military medical commission.
