The Russian government is aiming to decrease the number of draft-age men eligible for exemptions from compulsory military service, as reported by the state-affiliated TASS news agency on Sunday, citing a document it acquired.
According to existing legislation, Russian males aged 18 to 30 are subject to conscription but can qualify for exemptions due to health issues or pre-existing medical conditions.
A government proposal detailing the criteria for compulsory military service suggests reducing the proportion of exempt individuals to 17.5% by 2030 and to 16% by 2036, TASS noted.
The target for 2024 remains unchanged at 19%.
The government document indicates that approximately 30% of those eligible for the draft were designated as “partially fit” for military service in 2009, when the current standards were established.
Earlier this year, the Defense Ministry proposed revisions to its military medical examination rules, which would permit individuals with certain medical conditions, such as syphilis, hypertension, and specific types of psychosis, to be conscripted.
At that time, the Defense Ministry stated that “the new regulations aim to enhance the medical examination process” for soldiers deployed to combat roles in Ukraine.
“The experience gained from mass examinations during the special military operation highlighted discrepancies in diagnostic criteria that necessitate updates to conform to contemporary medical standards,” the military added.
Biannual conscription quotas are set by President Vladimir Putin and have risen since the Ukraine invasion.
From 2019 to 2022, the annual draft quota consistently hovered around 134,500 to 135,000 conscripts.
In the spring of 2023, 147,000 conscripts joined the military, with another 130,000 recruited that autumn. This increasing trend is expected to continue into 2024, with 150,000 men targeted for recruitment in the spring and 133,000 in the fall.
By the spring 2025 conscription campaign, the goal has been elevated to 160,000 new recruits.
In April, Putin enacted a law which states that if someone is deemed fit for service yet does not enlist due to health issues, military enlistment officers may require them to serve at the commencement of the next conscription campaign without necessitating a new medical evaluation or conscription decision.
