New Conscription Age Rules and IT Deferments Explained
The head of the State Duma Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, stated that the lower limit for conscription will not rise to 21. In other words, the current system will set the conscription age range from 18 up to 30. The commission supported the amendment during its second reading.
According to Kartapolov, the principal change is the upper age limit of 30. He noted that the minimum age for military service would stay at 18 because many men choose to enlist at that age.
The chairman of the commission also announced that the new rules will take effect in 2024 and will not affect the 2023 autumn draft. He clarified that anyone who turns 27 in 2023, even on December 31, will not be subject to the new law.
Additionally, it was mentioned that extending the service term to two years would not be sensible under the proposed framework.
Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the President, raised questions about amendments to the draft era and how they would be presented to the State Duma and the Defense Ministry.
The initial draft proposed raising the minimum age for military service to 21 and, in its first version, allowed men under 21 to serve if they wished. The amendment authors, including Kartapolov, argued for raising the lower limit so that citizens would have completed secondary, vocational or higher education before serving.
Kartapolov also indicated a shift away from enlisting school graduates and younger youths. The aim is to bring into the army more independent individuals who already possess a profession. He added that this approach would ease the budget burden since recruits would not require training in new specialties.
He emphasized that the initiative focuses on the qualitative development of the armed forces rather than merely increasing numbers. When the changes take effect, able-bodied individuals who are more developed psychologically and physically, and who have life experience, skills, and competencies, are expected to join the ranks.
The proposed new age standards for conscription were first introduced in December 2022 by the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Sergei Shoigu. He argued that these measures would strengthen national security in response to what was described as the North Atlantic Alliance seeking greater military potential near Russian borders. President Vladimir Putin supported the idea. [Attribution: Defense Ministry briefing and presidential press office]
Postponements for IT Companies
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Digital Transformation announced that, as part of the autumn call, IT professionals could start submitting deferral applications on July 24, with a deadline of August 8.
The ministry clarified that during this window, workers from IT companies may request military service deferral. Deferrals would appear in the employer’s personal account on the relevant portal. If an employee lacks a personal account or does not submit data, the organization itself can add the individual to the postponement list. By August 11, companies must verify, approve, and submit their employee data to the Ministry of Digital Development through Government Services. A single organization can submit multiple listings. The Ministry of Digital Transformation will forward these lists to the Ministry of National Defense by August 31. The draft committee will determine postponements for the period from October 1 to December 31, coinciding with the autumn call dates.
It was also stated that IT specialists must be aged 18–27, employed under a contract, work a standard day, and hold a higher education degree in a relevant field to qualify for a deferral. Employment at an IT company must continue for at least 11 months before the deferral interview begins. [Attribution: Ministry announcements and government portals]