Russia Raises Conscription Age to 30 Years

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a federal law that sets the conscription age in Russia from 18 to 30 years old, thereby increasing the upper limit by three years. The document was published on the official online platform for legal information.

The law is set to take effect on January 1, 2024. During the first reading in the State Duma, the document proposed conscription age limits from 21 to 30 years and included a transitional period for the lower limit of conscription age until 2026. However, during the second reading, the amendments regarding the increase in the lower limit and the transitional period were excluded.

The law stipulates that service members or citizens in reserve who are conscripted during extraordinary circumstances (such as the aftermath of natural disasters, implementation of emergency measures, restoration of constitutional order, and other emergency situations), or participate in international peacekeeping and security operations, or operations conducted by the armed forces of the Russian Federation and other troops and bodies, including tasks to suspend international terrorist activities outside the Russian Federation or to participate in naval campaigns, may be contracted for military service for a duration of one year or less.