Partial mobilization and the annual draft campaign were separated by termsThe autumn draft in 2022 starts a month later than usual — on November 1, but it should be completed by tradition by the New Year.
The postponement of deadlines in the Kremlin was explained by the desire to unload the military enlistment offices, which are now occupied by the mobilized. Izvestia answers the most popular questions on the autumn draft-2022 and explains how conscription differs from partial mobilization.
Facts and figures
- The autumn Draft-2022 will last from November 1 to December 31.
- It is planned to send 120 thousand conscript soldiers aged 18-27 to serve.
- For the first time, representatives of the IT professions receive a postponement from the service.
- In addition, from January 1, 2023, the regular number of military personnel (including contractors) increases. There will be 137 thousand more of them.
- Another 300 thousand people were called up as part of a partial mobilization. Basically, these are reserve soldiers of the 1st category.
Urgent service
On September 30, Vladimir Putin, by his decree, postponed for the first time the beginning of the autumn draft-2022 to November 1. The decision was caused by the overload of military enlistment offices due to partial mobilization, explained the press secretary of the president Dmitry Peskov. At the same time, the Kremlin has repeatedly stressed that conscript soldiers are not involved and will not be involved in their military operations in Ukraine.
Since Tuesday, October 4, the Ministry of Defense has opened a "hotline" for conscripts. You will be able to get answers to all questions by phone +7(495) 498-96-96, +7(495) 498-96-97, +7(495) 498-96-98. The hotline is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Moscow time.
Who is subject to conscription into the army
According to the law "On Military Duty and Military Service", conscription takes place twice a year, Russian male citizens 18-27 years old are sent to serve. According to the presidential decree, 120 thousand people will be sent to the army in the fall — this is 7.5 thousand less than last year's autumn draft and 14 thousand less than in the spring.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Denis Abramov
Image source: iz.ru
How long does the draft campaign last
In 2022, the autumn draft campaign will be reduced by 30 days. It will start a month later than usual, on November 1, and will end on December 31. The summons is handed to the conscript by the employees of the military commissariats personally in their hands and under the signature. They can be issued both at the place of residence and at the place of work or study.
How long does the service in the army last
Conscription service lasts 12 months (or 18-21 months in the case of alternative civil service). For the most part, the recruits remain in the same region where they were drafted. Exceptions apply to the Navy, parts of the Strategic Missile Forces and some others.
Who can get a reprieve
From August 2, 2022, some IT specialists could apply for a postponement. To do this, the employer company had to submit an application for "Public Services" on time, and the profession of a specialist should be included in the list of 195 professions. Most of the deferrals were issued in Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Tatarstan. To get a postponement for the spring draft-2023, you need to enter data about the employee before February 9, 2023.
According to the law, full-time students and those who are temporarily unfit for medical reasons (from physical weakness to mental disorders) can postpone service in the Armed Forces. Also, a deferral is granted to citizens who have two or more children, or those who care for an infirm relative.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Pivovarov
Image source: iz.ru
Alternative service
Citizens can apply for alternative service if their beliefs or religion contradict the service in the Armed Forces, as well as representatives of small indigenous peoples who lead a traditional way of life. Alternative service lasts longer: 21 months in civilian institutions and 18 months in the military (but in civilian positions).
Contract service
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are currently being equipped on a mixed basis: both at the expense of conscripts and with the participation of contract servicemen. From January 1, 2023, the number of full-time military personnel (including contractors) in the country will increase. The decree on this was signed by the President in August. According to the document, the Armed Forces will strengthen by 137 thousand people — up to 1,150 million.
According to the editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, Reserve Colonel Viktor Murakhovsky, the number of full-time military personnel will increase by two-thirds at the expense of contract soldiers, another third may be volunteers of the so-called nominal territorial battalions.
According to the plans of the Ministry of Defense, by 2027 the number of contractors in the Russian Armed Forces will grow from the current 400 thousand to 499 thousand. The standard first contract for military service is concluded for a period of two to five years, but in military recruitment points today they most often talk about short–term contracts for three to six months.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Alexander Polegenko
Image source: iz.ru
300 thousand mobilized
On September 21, a partial mobilization was announced in Russia by presidential decree. According to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, it was planned to call up about 300 thousand people, or about 1% of the total Russian reserve. The exact number of those mobilized for the special operation in each region is not disclosed.
According to the law "On Mobilization training and mobilization in the Russian Federation", it can be general and partial. According to gosportal, "We explain.RF", reserve servicemen with relevant experience are subject to priority conscription. First of all, enlisted men and sergeants up to 35 years old, junior officers up to 50, as well as senior officers up to 55 years old. At the same time, the "maximum age of conscription" for privates and sergeants is 50 years, for junior officers — 60, and for senior officers — 65. They can send a summons both at home and at work.
Conscript soldiers can be mobilized only after being discharged into the reserve. But those who have recently completed their contract service are subject to mobilization "as a matter of priority." The service life for the mobilized is not set. It is assumed that they will return home at the end of their training. This also applies to those who had already served under contract by September 21. The Ministry of Defense explained that the bulk of the mobilized will undergo three weeks of retraining before being sent to the places of combat missions.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Pavel Lisitsyn
Image source: iz.ru
Who will be released from service
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation clarified the categories of citizens who do not fall under partial mobilization. These are specialists in the fields of IT, communications, media and finance. Also, some of the subordinates have booked organizations that fulfill state orders and ensure the security of the Russian Federation, the vital activity of the population, etc.
They can avoid the draft:
- employees of information technology companies
- employees who ensure the stability of the payment system and financial market infrastructure
- employees of telecom operators
- employees of system-forming media.
Earlier, the State Duma of the Russian Federation approved a bill on labor guarantees for Russians mobilized for military service and volunteers. They will retain their workplace, position, as well as social and labor guarantees for the entire period of military service.
Credit holidays are also provided to the military. You can ask the bank for them until December 31, 2023. Also, as Izvestia journalists found out, conscripted servicemen are exempt from property tax: an apartment, a house, a garage. The benefit applies to one object of each type.
Maria Shaipova