Russian IT companies that have accreditation from the Ministry of Digital Development will gain the ability to pause their employees’ military duties through the Gosuslug portal. This capability was announced in a published post on the ministry’s Telegram channel, signaling a formal shift in how the sector can manage staffing during mandatory service periods.
In conjunction with this development, Maksut Shadaev, the head of the Ministry of Finance, highlighted a streamlined approach to applying for military deferments for IT professionals. The process is moving toward full electronic administration, reducing the paperwork burden for both employers and staff. Companies will now need to submit lists of eligible workers at least 50 days before the draft call. The framework anticipates that a wide spectrum of roles—encompassing roughly 75 specialties, including engineering, statistics, and related disciplines—will be eligible for timely deferments without unnecessary delays.
Once these lists are compiled, the Ministry of Digital Development will undertake verification procedures over a 20-day period. After completing verification, the information will be transmitted to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for further action. The transfer marks a critical step in coordinating between ministries to ensure that qualified IT professionals can receive formal relief from conscription while maintaining workforce continuity in the tech sector.
Earlier communications indicated that the Russian government had established specific criteria for deferments, targeting IT specialists employed by Russian companies. The policy covers younger professionals under the age of 27 who hold higher education credentials and have at least one year of work experience within IT firms. The rules also extend to individuals with less than one year of professional experience, provided they completed a university program within a year prior to the appointment. This inclusivity reflects the government’s intent to safeguard the industry’s talent pipeline while balancing national defense obligations.
Historical context shows that ministers and industry representatives discussed the mechanism in advance, with the Council of Ministers underscoring several procedural milestones. Companies seeking a deferment were instructed to submit their lists to the Ministry of Digital Development by a specified deadline, after which the ministry would forward the data to the Ministry of Defense. There, the final roster would be compiled and sent to the military registration and enlistment offices for proper processing. This sequence emphasizes the importance of clear timelines and interagency cooperation to ensure that deferral decisions are applied consistently across the sector. As these processes evolve, IT firms are urged to maintain accurate, up-to-date records of eligible staff and to coordinate closely with government bodies to avoid delays or misunderstandings.