Russia introduces year-round military conscription. This is instead of general mobilization

Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed an amendment to the law on year-round military conscription on Tuesday. He also approved regulations allowing the recruitment of reservists for peacetime service. Both documents were published on the official Russian legal information portal.

The first of two laws signed by Putin stipulates that citizens will be conscripted for military service throughout the entire calendar year, instead of twice a year, as before – in spring and autumn. The new regulations will enter into force on January 1, 2026. After that date, military registration and conscription offices will be able to issue summonses to conscripts, conduct medical examinations and organize conscription board meetings throughout the year. Conscripts will be sent to the place of service as before, twice a year – from April 1 to July 15 and from October 1 to December 31.

The amendment also extended the deadline for reporting to the military registration and recruitment office in the event of sending an electronic summons. From now on, it will be not 20, but 30 days from the date of placing such a document in the register – regardless of whether the conscript received the call or not.

The second law allows to call up reservists for service also in peacetime. The regulations apply to citizens who voluntarily sign a contract to serve as reservists. Under the new regulations, the Russian Ministry of Defense will be able to send reservists for additional training “to ensure the protection of critical facilities and other key infrastructure.”

Commentators believe that the adoption of both laws is an attempt to replenish the personnel of the Russian army, reduced as a result of the aggression against Ukraine, without the need to announce additional mobilization. The Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) adopted both regulations on October 28, and shortly thereafter the Yaroslavl and Tyumen oblasts announced recruitment to the reserve forces. These actions were taken in advance, despite the lack of the head of state's signature on the acts.

Tomasz Dawid Jędruchów (PAP)

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