The State Duma proposed to accept school graduates for military service under a contract
Young Russians can get the opportunity to sign a contract with the Armed Forces immediately after graduation. Such changes to the legislation were approved by the State Duma Committee on Defense. According to the bill, adults who have no health restrictions can become contract employees. They can be sent to the battlefield at least after four months of service.
The State Duma proposed to accept graduates of Russian schools for military service under a contract. The bill has been published on the website of the lower house.
The authors of the bill - deputies from United Russia Vasily Piskarev, Andrey Kartapolov, Ernest Valeev, Anatoly Vyborny, Dmitry Savelyev - propose to amend Article 34 of the law "On Military Duty and Military Service", according to which "male citizens who are not in reserve, who have received secondary general education" will be able to become contract employees if they are subject to conscription, that is, school graduates.
If the bill is passed, contract soldiers will be able to be sent to the battlefield after four months of service. If someone serves longer, but has not completed training in military accounting specialties, then they will be able to be sent to armed conflicts only after completing this training.
The BBC claims that initially one of the authors of the bill Kartapolov proposed to send into battle after one month of service under the contract. The TV channel notes that this version of the edits was published on the State Duma website in early June, but "almost immediately disappeared" from there.
The document passed the first reading, the second reading is scheduled for June 28.
The current legislation stipulates that graduates of technical schools and vocational schools with secondary vocational education can sign the first contract for military service if they are subject to conscription or are already serving in the army and are not in reserve, that is, they are not exempt from service. Graduates of such vocational schools are usually over 18 years old.
In addition to them, conscripts who have received higher education, or those who have served for more than three months, men who are not in reserve and have received higher education, foreigners who are legally located on the territory of Russia (only once), as well as women who are not married can go to serve in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation under a contract stock.
The Head of State raised the bar from 40 years to retirement age, that is, with the end of the pension reform, it will reach 65 years for men and 60 years for women.
The authors of the amendments - former Deputy Defense Minister, Chairman of the Defense Committee Andrei Kartapolov and his first deputy Andrei Krasov (deputies from United Russia) - expressed the opinion that highly professional specialists are needed for the use of precision weapons, weapons and military equipment, which they become "by the age of 40-45."
In a comment to the Octagon, Krasov explained that the deputies thus want to give "an opportunity to citizens who have received their profession in related civilian specialties to conclude such contracts."
"As a result, in medical and engineering support, communications, logistics and technical support, we will get real professionals in their field. And this will affect the strengthening of the security and defense capability of our state," the publication quotes the parliamentarian.
Previously, a contract for military service could be concluded by Russian citizens aged 18 to 40 years and foreigners aged 18 to 30 years.
After the State Duma and the Federation Council approved these changes in legislation, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said that the law would attract drivers, paramedics and cooks to the army, which is "generally in today's trend." According to him, de facto contracts will be concluded with citizens up to 50 years old (up to this age, privates and sergeants are listed in the reserve). In addition, he noted that age-old contractors will not be taken into the amphibious troops because of the special requirements for the health of employees.
The change in legislation in the military sphere takes place against the background of Russia's special operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24.
Angelina Milchenko
