Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Military Convinced Putin to Expand Draft Age Range — Reports

Vladimir Putin with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. kremlin.ru

The Kremlin was purportedly against amendments recently passed in the Russian parliament that, once signed into law, would expand the pool of eligible army recruits by raising the upper age limit for military conscription, the independent news website Vyorstka reported Thursday, citing multiple anonymous sources familiar with the matter. 

Under current Russian law, all men aged 18-27 must complete a one-year term of compulsory military service, a requirement that has been in place since before the invasion of Ukraine.

But this week both the lower-house State Duma and upper-house Federation Council approved changes that would raise the age limits for this compulsory military service to 18-30 starting in January 2024.

The changes do away with the original amendments — which had been endorsed by President Vladimir Putin in December — that sought to gradually raise the lower and upper age limits for compulsory military service to 21-30 over a three-year period.

The originally proposed amendments “seemed sufficient at that moment [in December 2022],” one source told Vyorstka, as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu sought to increase Russia’s combat personnel from 1.15 million to 1.5 million.

Likewise, the Kremlin has been reluctant to make any unpopular decisions — such as a second round of mobilization — that could harm Putin’s approval rating, especially as the country prepares for next year’s presidential elections. 

“But, as the saying goes, they did the math and wept,” the source told Vyorstka, noting that Russia’s mounting military losses meant that the army would need to expand the pool of potential recruits to boost troop numbers.

“At some point, the Defense Ministry came to an agreement with the very top of the Kremlin, with the top official,” the source added, referring to Putin.

When asked whether the unpopular amendments signal the Russian military’s readiness to launch a new wave of mobilization, an unnamed Kremlin-linked political strategist said that Russian authorities are “simply ready for anything.”

“The decision [about a new wave of mobilization] will be made by one person. But you can’t get into his head,” another source said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more