A draft law on raising the draft age has been submitted to the State Duma of Russia.
The document indicates the mechanism for a gradual increase in the lower limit of the military age from 18 to 21 years, and the upper one from 27 to 30 years. It is assumed that in 2024, men aged 19 to 30 years old will be called up for military service, in 2025 – from 20 to 30 years old, and in 2026 – from 21 to 30 years old.
The authors of the bill, deputies of Putin’s pro-government United Russia, note that the initiative will help reduce federal budget spending on medical examinations of conscripts by more than 600 million rubles (about 7.5 million euros). The explanatory note states that the purpose of the bill is to guarantee that citizens receive secondary general and secondary vocational education.
The document will most likely be accepted. The proposal to gradually increase the draft age was earlier made by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergey Shoyga, subsequently this initiative was supported by dictator Putin.
The deputies also proposed to change the law “On Alternative Civil Service”. Their amendments imply that citizens from 18 to 30 years old will be able to choose an alternative service. At the same time, there is no talk of raising the lower age limit in the current version of the bill.
If the law is passed, it will come into force on January 1, 2024. The document notes that citizens who have received deferments from conscription before the entry into force of the document can use deferrals “until the expiration of their validity or until the disappearance of their basis.”
Russian Minister of War Sergey Shoyga announced the reform of the army, which provides for an increase in the draft age, in December 2022. The army reform also provides for an increase in the strength of the Muscovite armed forces to 1.5 million people.
Source: Racurs
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