Roundups to force men into the war are surging again in Russia. Families in Omsk and other cities say men are being seized off the streets.

Roundups of men forced to sign contracts with the Defense Ministry and then sent to fight in Ukraine have become more frequent again in Russia.

The situation in Omsk has drawn widespread attention. On October 27, opposition activists from the Omsk Civic Association flagged reviews of the Sirius-55 military recruitment center on the mapping service 2GIS. Many relatives of local men have posted complaints there, saying the men are being picked up off the streets, subjected to violence, and prevented from contacting anyone. Journalists from the investigative outlet iStories examined the complaints and found that the first accounts appeared in the spring, but there are now far more. Similar accounts have also appeared in comments on local news websites — for example, under an August article on the subject published by NGS55.

The current wave of roundups extends beyond Omsk. Timofey Vaskin, head of the legal department at the School of Conscripts, told Novaya Gazeta Europe that rights advocates are receiving similar complaints from dozens of regions. The news outlet Verstka, for example, reported similar complaints from 34 regions, including the Arkhangelsk, Kemerovo, and Novosibirsk regions. Other organizations helping men in Russia have received similar accounts.

The surge in complaints shows that the practice of forcing men en masse to sign contracts, which began in Penza in June, is continuing.

Yes and no.

It’s hard to compare the current roundups with those in Moscow, for example. In the capital, officials detain specific conscripts to send them into compulsory military service.

In Penza, by contrast, they grabbed “everyone in sight,” according to Artyom Klyga, head of the legal department at the Movement of Conscientious Objectors. That resembles recent accounts from Omsk and other regions.

The roundups also share a purpose. Both in Penza over the summer and in Omsk this fall, detained men have been pressured to sign military contracts. Contract soldiers are now the Russian military’s main source of new personnel: They make up the bulk of those sent into the combat zone and killed at the front. Roundups are among the methods the authorities use to keep recruits coming.

There is a difference, too. In Penza, detained men were mostly taken to police stations and could then be taken straight to a military unit. In Omsk, they are first sent to the Sirius recruitment center for contract soldiers. Experts say this intermediate stop may give detainees time to seek help. While being processed at Sirius or a similar facility, they may still be able to contact loved ones or lawyers.

But having a large recruitment center for contract soldiers in a city may itself encourage larger roundups. The Movement of Conscientious Objectors puts it this way:

It’s too early to say much about other details. Lawyers working on these cases don’t have enough information to say exactly who is being picked up, how it happens, which cities will see more cases, or what the chances are of getting loved ones out.

But it doesn’t hurt to know some basic safety rules in case you’re detained.

Here are the main recommendations. We originally compiled them during the roundups in Penza and have now expanded them:

Put together a support group. If you think you’re at risk, make arrangements with several people you trust who are ready to act quickly if necessary.

Have a power of attorney notarized. You need to do this in advance. The document will allow your loved ones to represent you, hire lawyers, and submit requests and complaints to government agencies.

Get a spare basic cellphone with a keypad and save important contacts on it. This will let you stay in touch even if your main smartphone is confiscated, so you can seek help from loved ones, lawyers, rights advocates, and relevant government agencies.

Remember that signing a contract is voluntary, and don’t sign anything. Be clear on this: No one has the right to force you into military service. To feel more confident, read the federal law “On Military Duty and Military Service,” which sets out all the basic rules.

Turn on your camera and audio recorder. If you’re detained, record everything the officers do. Say the time, address, and the officers’ full names and ranks aloud as you record. If possible, post the recordings online — they will be crucial evidence that you were forced to sign a contract.

Flood the authorities with complaints. You or your support group should write to the Investigative Committee, the military prosecutor’s office, the Defense Ministry, and human rights commissioners. You can also file lawsuits to challenge the officers’ unlawful actions.

If intense pressure does lead you to sign a contract, try to leave the place where you signed it immediately.