Putin signs decree on year-round conscription in 2026: 261,000 people to be drafted

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has signed a decree introducing year-round conscription for compulsory military service in 2026, with plans to draft 261,000 people.

Source: Russia's Defence Ministry

Details: Under the decree, Russia plans to draft 261,000 people in 2026. The conscription will apply to Russian citizens aged 18 to 30 who are not in the reserve.

The document states that, following changes to legislation, conscription procedures will take place throughout the entire calendar year. During this period, medical examinations, professional psychological screening and meetings of draft commissions will be conducted.

Meanwhile, the dispatch of conscripts to places of military service will continue to take place twice a year, as before: from 1 April to 15 July and from 1 October to 31 December.

The decree also provides for the discharge from military service of conscripts whose term of compulsory service has ended.

Background:

• On 28 October, the Russian State Duma (parliament) passed a bill at its third and final reading that allows conscription for mandatory military service to take place throughout the calendar year – from 1 January to 31 December.
• In September, the State Duma approved the bill proposing year‑round conscription – from 1 January to 31 December – at first reading.
• In 2023, the State Duma raised the conscription age for men to 30, banned people who had been called up from leaving the country, and increased the fine for failing to appear at a military enlistment office tenfold.

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