Russia Increases Maximum Age Limit for Compulsory Military Service and Fines for Draft Dodgers
Russia has passed a bill to raise the maximum age limit for compulsory military service from 18 to 30 years old.
This comes as Moscow seeks to replenish its forces on the front line in Ukraine without resorting to another mobilisation.
The bill still needs to be approved by the upper chamber and signed into law by President Vladimir Putin, but this is considered a formality.
The law also prohibits conscripts from leaving the country once they receive their draft notice.
The Russian lawmakers also passed a bill that increases fines for those who fail to show up at an enlistment office after receiving a draft notice.
The fines will now be up to 30,000 rubles, which is around $330, when the law comes into effect on October 1.
The maximum fine is currently 3,000 rubles.
These changes come as tens of thousands of men fled Russia last autumn after Vladimir Putin announced a mobilisation of 300,000 reservists to prop up Moscow's forces in Ukraine.
In April, Russian lawmakers adopted a law creating a digital conscription notice system, which allowed call-up papers to be served online instead of in person, greatly facilitating the mobilisation of Russians into the army.
The bill was backed by the lower house of parliament, and it seeks to increase the country's military strength amidst tensions with Ukraine.
The Russian military has been involved in a conflict with Ukrainian forces in the Crimean peninsula and eastern Ukraine since 2014.
The war has caused thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people.
Russia's move to increase the age limit for compulsory military service and the fines for those who fail to show up at an enlistment office highlights the country's efforts to maintain its military strength and to conscript more young men into the army.
This has caused concerns among human rights groups and critics of the Kremlin, who argue that the country's military actions in Ukraine are a violation of international law.
The bill still needs to be approved by the upper chamber and signed into law by President Vladimir Putin, but this is considered a formality.
The law also prohibits conscripts from leaving the country once they receive their draft notice.
The Russian lawmakers also passed a bill that increases fines for those who fail to show up at an enlistment office after receiving a draft notice.
The fines will now be up to 30,000 rubles, which is around $330, when the law comes into effect on October 1.
The maximum fine is currently 3,000 rubles.
These changes come as tens of thousands of men fled Russia last autumn after Vladimir Putin announced a mobilisation of 300,000 reservists to prop up Moscow's forces in Ukraine.
In April, Russian lawmakers adopted a law creating a digital conscription notice system, which allowed call-up papers to be served online instead of in person, greatly facilitating the mobilisation of Russians into the army.
The bill was backed by the lower house of parliament, and it seeks to increase the country's military strength amidst tensions with Ukraine.
The Russian military has been involved in a conflict with Ukrainian forces in the Crimean peninsula and eastern Ukraine since 2014.
The war has caused thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people.
Russia's move to increase the age limit for compulsory military service and the fines for those who fail to show up at an enlistment office highlights the country's efforts to maintain its military strength and to conscript more young men into the army.
This has caused concerns among human rights groups and critics of the Kremlin, who argue that the country's military actions in Ukraine are a violation of international law.