President Vladimir Putin of Russia signed a law aimed at expanding the pool of potential military recruits for the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The new law raises the upper age limit for conscription, allowing men between the ages of 18 and 30 to be eligible for conscription starting in January 2024, according to The Moscow Times.
Before the new law, Russian men ages 18 to 27 were required to complete one year of compulsory military service, a mandate in place since before the invasion of Ukraine. The recent law signed by President Putin expands the age range for compulsory service, covering people between the ages of 18 and 30.
Russia: changes to the original amendments
The final version of the law discards previous amendments, endorsed by Putin in December, which aimed to gradually increase the lower and upper age limits for the compulsory military service from 21 to 30 years.
Instead, the government opted for a broader age range in an attempt to increase the number of potential recruits.
Russia has faced significant military losses in Ukraine, prompting the need to expand its combat personnel.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has been seeking to increase the country’s military personnel from 1.15 million to 1.5 millionwhich requires the expansion of the age range of conscription to meet these objectives.
In addition to raising the upper age limit for conscription, the recent law also prohibits recruits from leaving the country.
This, along with the introduction of digital draft notices in the spring, has fueled speculation about a possible second wave of mobilization being planned by the Kremlin.
As Moscow continues its efforts to bolster its military forces amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, changes to recruitment laws are expected to have significant implications for recruitment and the military preparation of the nation.
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