Moscow. March 30. INTERFAX - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree on the conscription of Russian citizens for military service in April-July 2023 and on the dismissal from military service of citizens undergoing military service on conscription.
"I decree: from April 1 to July 15, 2023, conscription of citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 27 years who are not in reserve and are subject to conscription in accordance with Federal Law No. 53-FZ of March 28, 1998 "On Military Duty and Military Service", in accordance with the number of 147 thousand people," reads the text of the decree published on the official Internet portal of legal information.
The President also decided to "implement (...) dismissal from military service of soldiers, sailors, sergeants and foremen whose term of military service has expired."
The Government of the Russian Federation, executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and draft commissions have been instructed to "ensure the implementation of measures related to the conscription of citizens of the Russian Federation".
Federal ministers, heads of federal services and federal agencies are instructed to "ensure the implementation of the provisions of Federal Law No. 53-FZ of March 28, 1998 "On Military Duty and Military Service" in respect of citizens of the Russian Federation who are not in reserve and are subject to conscription, accepted for service (work) in federal ministries, other federal executive authorities and federal services and federal agencies under the jurisdiction of federal ministries, as well as for work in organizations subordinate to the relevant federal executive authorities."
In December 2022, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that 120 thousand recruits were sent to the troops during the autumn conscription.
On March 13, it became known that a draft law on a phased increase in the draft age from 2024 was submitted to the State Duma. According to the draft, citizens aged from 19 to 30 years (in the period from January 1 to December 31, 2024); from 20 to 30 years (in the period from January 1 to December 31, 2025); from 21 to 30 years (in the period from January 1, 2026 year). It is assumed that the law will come into force on January 1, 2024.
For the first time, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced plans to change the age limits of conscription for military service on December 21, 2022 at a meeting of the department's board.
"When recruiting the Armed Forces, gradually increase the age of conscription of citizens from 18 to 21 years, and raise the limit to 30 years," the minister said at the time. According to him, it is also planned to "provide an opportunity, at the request of citizens, to enter military service under a contract from the first day of joining the service."
On December 17, 2022, the military commissar of the Moscow region Alexey Astakhov said that there are no plans to increase the term of military service (1 year) in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
On January 17, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that Shoigu, as part of his work in the joint grouping of troops in the zone of special military operation in Ukraine, held a meeting dedicated to increasing the number of Armed Forces to 1.5 million soldiers.
"The President of the Russian Federation has made a decision to increase the number of Armed Forces to 1.5 million servicemen. Guaranteed to ensure the military security of the state, to protect new subjects and critical facilities of the Russian Federation is possible only by strengthening the key structural components of the Armed Forces: to create two new interspecific strategic territorial associations of the Armed Forces - the Moscow and Leningrad military districts, as well as self-sufficient groups of troops (forces) in the territories of the new subjects of the Russian Federation," Shoigu said at that meeting.
Since September 21, 2022, partial mobilization has been carried out in Russia. On October 28, 2022, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin about the completion of mobilization measures.
