The decree on spring conscription in Russia was signed by President Vladimir Putin and published on the official legal information portal. The document outlines the plan for mobilizing a specific number of young Russian citizens for military service, confirming the government’s annual schedule for conscripts who are not in reserve.
According to the decree, from April 1 to July 15, 2023, conscription targets Russian citizens aged 18 to 27 who are not in reserve and are subject to mandatory military service. The stated goal is to recruit 147 thousand individuals during this period. Past drafts offer context for this year’s plan, with the autumn 2022 draft totaling 120 thousand and the spring draft of the previous year totaling 134.5 thousand.
On March 30, Andrey Kartapolov, chair of the State Duma Defense Committee, announced that those called up for military service during the spring would not be deployed to the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, nor to the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. He also indicated that there would be no spring military service in the new federation issues for 2023, signaling a temporary shift in deployment strategy for this cycle.
Additionally, Kartapolov noted that the gradual increase in the conscription age would not affect the spring draft of 2023. This clarification helped to set expectations among potential draftees and regional recruitment offices across the country.
Former Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that preparations were underway at the Moscow military registration and enlistment offices in connection with the upcoming call for military service, underscoring the administrative readiness essential to the process. His remarks pointed to ongoing coordination between federal directives and local recruitment infrastructure to ensure a smooth screening and enlistment cycle.
In parallel developments, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade circulated a roster of workers from the military-industrial complex of military age who might be considered for deferrals from the spring draft by the Ministry of Defense. The list reflected administrative mechanisms intended to balance industrial needs with the conscription schedule, a common practice in periods of heightened defense engagement.
During an extended meeting of the defense ministry board earlier in the year, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu proposed raising the compulsory conscription age from 18 to 21 and expanding the upper age limit to 30. A subsequent draft submitted to the State Duma contemplated gradually phasing out the military age, with a potential target of 21 years. These discussions reflect ongoing deliberations about how the conscription system adapts to shifting defense requirements and demographic realities, while still managing the timing and scope of drafts for the year 2023. [Source attribution: Ministry statements and parliamentary briefings]