President Vladimir Putin issued a decree Monday allowing Russians who hold another citizenship to be conscripted into the army.
The draft is now extended to dual citizens, Russians with permanent residency status abroad and stateless people, according to Putin’s amendments to military service regulations.
Dual nationals have been exempt from conscription until now.
The changes come two weeks after Putin announced an end to his month-long “partial” mobilization of 300,000 recruits. Many remain wary of a possible second wave of mobilization if Russian forces continue to suffer casualties in Ukraine.
In late September, Putin also signed a decree making it easier for foreigners to obtain Russian citizenship if they join the army.
Under Putin’s latest decree, dual-citizen conscripts can hold the ranks of soldiers, sailors, sergeants and petty officers.
Dual-citizen contract soldiers, who have been able to serve alongside Russian nationals prior to the new rules, now face restrictions based on their criminal and drug records.
Those convicted, under investigation or whose convictions have not been expunged cannot sign contracts with the Russian Armed Forces.
Conscripts are allowed to sign contracts with the Russian military after three months of service.
The number of Russians with second citizenship or permanent residency in another country stood at 543,000 as of January 2020, the latest publicly available period.
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