On April 1, spring conscription begins in Russia. Young men aged 18 and – for the first time – up to 30 years old will go to military service in different regions of the country. Izvestia found out what else will change for the spring conscription in 2024 and to which troops and regions recruits can be sent.
When does the spring conscription begin – 2024, hotline
The recruitment campaign starts annually on April 1 and lasts until July 15. For residents of the Far North, as well as for teachers, the conscription period begins a month later – May 1. It is still unknown how many people are planned to be called up for service in 2024; the figure will be indicated in a decree of the President of the Russian Federation. Typically, such a decree is published at the end of March. Note that in the spring campaign of 2023, 147 thousand recruits were called up, and in the fall of 2023 – only 130 thousand people.
After the start of the campaign, Russians will be able to obtain all information about the conscription by calling the hotline 122. You can call it from both landline and mobile phones. All calls are free.
Who is eligible for spring conscription – 2024, will the age be increased
The spring draft of 2024 will be the first time that the age limit for recruits will be raised to 30 years. All potential recruits will be required to undergo a medical examination. The Ministry of Defense plans to gradually increase the size of the Armed Forces from the current million to 1.5 million people. Of these, almost half – 745 thousand people – should be contract soldiers.
Let us recall that on January 17, the head of the Ministry of Defense Sergei Shoigu said that in the period from 2023 to 2026 large-scale changes will be carried out in the Russian army, including the number of troops will increase to 1.5 million people. In this regard, the number of training grounds in military districts, as well as the territories of new subjects, will also increase, and their preparation will be organized to ensure practical operations of the troops.
According to the Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, another army corps, seven divisions, 19 brigades, 49 regiments and one flotilla will also be formed for this purpose.
How long will those called up to serve in the spring of 2024, will their service life be increased to two years?
Conscript service in Russia lasts 12 months; those called up in the spring and summer of 2024 must return home in the spring and summer of 2025. At the same time, in 2022, State Duma deputies raised the issue of increasing military service to two years, but no orders came from the Ministry of Defense. The Federation Council doubted the need to return to the practice of two years of service. According to the head of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building, Andrei Klishas, the combat effectiveness of the army largely depends on the number of contract soldiers (which they plan to increase). And the length of conscription service is unlikely to have a noticeable effect on the quality of the troops.
Who will receive a deferment and release from the army in the spring of 2023
Those young people who have illnesses and disabilities due to health conditions will not be considered fit for military service, in particular:
- heart disease, ischemia, pressure above 150 to 90;
- myopia more than minus 6 diopters, cataracts or glaucoma, as well as retinal detachment;
- chronic otitis media or complete deafness;
- gastrointestinal diseases: hernia, pancreatitis, ulcer, hemorrhoids;
- chronic enuresis;
- second degree scoliosis with deformation of more than 11 degrees;
- third degree flatfoot;
- obesity above the second degree;
- HIV or hepatitis;
- tuberculosis;
- oncology;
- mental illness;
- stuttering, in which speech is significantly distorted.
According to the law, the following will receive a deferment from conscription:
- full-time university and postgraduate students;
- IT specialists – employees of companies that have the appropriate accreditation; the application had to be submitted in the fall of 2023 at the State Services;
- married fathers of two or more minor children;
- raising a child with a disability under three years of age;
- single fathers;
- those who are officially married to a woman who is at least 26 weeks pregnant;
- caring for frail relatives;
- guardians of elderly parents.
Where will the 2024 recruits serve: what troops, what regions, North Military District zone and scientific companies
During the preparations for the autumn conscription of 2022 and 2023, the command reported that there were no plans to involve recruits in a special military operation. They will be sent to military units in other regions of the country. This information was also confirmed by the representative of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the Russian General Staff, Rear Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyansky. According to him, conscripts will be sent to educational and military units strictly on the territory of various regions of Russia, except for new regions.
The Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the principles and methods of training conscript soldiers are constantly being improved and can be adjusted taking into account the experience of the Northern Military District, as well as due to the emergence of new types of weapons and equipment. After the medical examination, the recruits will be distributed to different troops. These could be the Ground Forces, Aerospace Forces, Navy, Strategic Missile Forces, Airborne Forces. Those who managed to complete a DOSAAF vocational training course during their school years or have a driver’s license have a much higher chance of getting into their preferred branch of the military.
In addition to the basic ones, 17 scientific companies have been created in the RF Armed Forces, eight of which are part of the Era Military Innovation Technopolis, there are also four research and production companies and five sports companies. To get into a scientific company, a conscript must be a student or have a higher education in specialties of interest to the Russian Ministry of Defense with an average score of 4.5. Also, Russians who have received presidential or government scholarships, winners of competitions and Olympiads, and authors of scientific publications can apply for service in scientific or sports companies.
In addition, recruits can undergo alternative service – representatives of indigenous peoples, as well as all Russians due to religious or ethical convictions, can apply for it.
How to get hired under a contract
It is planned that contract military service will become available to everyone from the first day of conscription. Moreover, all contract recruits will study their military specialty in the first four months or more and only then go to their places of combat service.
Today, only graduates of universities and colleges can serve under a contract from the first day, and yesterday’s schoolchildren must serve three months in compulsory service. These rules also apply to those who will be called up in the spring of 2024. The age limit for concluding a contract is 65 years.
According to data official portal Explain.RF, a person with limitations for medical reasons (injuries or illnesses) can apply for contract service if During a medical examination at the military registration and enlistment office, it will be recognized that the citizen meets the requirements for health reasons.
Women also may pass military service under contract in communications, medicine and support units, unless they have another previously acquired military specialty.
What to do if you receive a subpoena, register of subpoenas
According to Law No. 53 “On Military Duty and Military Service”, the summons must be delivered in person and against signature. It indicates the date and address where the conscript must appear. The document is issued either by an employee of the military registration and enlistment office, or by the head or authorized representative of the organization at the place of work or study. When presenting the summons, the military registration and enlistment office employee must introduce himself and, upon request, present his documents. The citizen who received the summons signs it, and the counterfoil must be returned to the military commissariat.
If a relative, neighbor or other unauthorized person has signed for receipt of the summons, it has no legal force. When it is impossible to serve a summons, for example, a person is absent from his place of registration, the military commissar must send a written appeal to the internal affairs bodies with a request to ensure the conscript’s appearance.
Starting in the fall of 2024, the fall conscription into the army will be carried out using a unified register of military records and a publicly accessible register of summonses. Thanks to the unified register of those liable for military service, it will be possible to register online with the military registration and enlistment office. This is especially true for 16–17-year-old boys of pre-conscription age, who must submit information about themselves from January 1 to March 31.
#army #calling #spring #conscription #campaign #begins #Russia