Kremlin wants 150,000 new soldiers, including former Ukrainian citizens in occupied territories.

Russia has launched the spring drafting campaign for its military, seeking to put 150,000 new conscripts in military uniforms by mid-July 2024.

President Vladimir Putin’s order, effective from 1 April, applies under the 2023 military reform and calls for the drafting of a record number of young men into the armed forces in the past eight years. 

Last year’s spring, Russia planned to recruit 147,000 men and it’s unclear how many had been drafted in reality.

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The conscription service is mandatory in Russia for all eligible men aged 18 to 30 (from 27 until 2023), and is different from the contract service – which is for volunteers, and alternative or civilian service, for those who choose not to stay in barracks or carry weapons and, respectively, serve the armed forces as technical or non-military personnel.

Under the reform, 27-30-year-olds are obliged to respond the call, but this year there’s an exception for 27-year-olds. IT specialists up to the age of 30 will benefit from exemption too.

The fine for failure to show up at the military authorities without a valid reason varies from 10,000 to 30,000 rubles ($320/€300). The refusal to serve is punishable with prison, under the Russian criminal code.

This year, the Defense Ministry is testing the technology for online summoning via the public services app Gosuslugi.

The presidential order also instructs the navy, air force, army, and strategic command to discharge the servicemen whose active duty term has completed. The conscription service in Russia lasts between two and four years.

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Yet, under the wartime laws, the Defense Ministry may extend the term of service for conscripts beyond the ordinary period. As Russia is gearing up for a new offensive in Ukraine this spring, the Kremlin may be tempted to keep more people in the military and even sweep the male population with a new mobilization wave.

Since the annexation of four Ukrainian provinces and the Crimean Peninsula into the Russian Federation, Russia applies its laws in those regions too, so conscription of former Ukrainian citizens in occupied territories is a default setting.

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According to Meduza, an independent outlet, there are several legal opportunities to skip the conscription service and stay out of active combat. One of the risks for new recruits is their drafting for the well-paid contract service, which in essence is pure slavery and guaranteed deployment to the frontlines.

There are two calls for the conscription service in Russia – in spring and in fall. Conscripts are generally prohibited from being deployed abroad, though this rule has rarely been respected.

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