The State Duma has advanced a bill at the first reading that would allow military personnel to take part in peacekeeping operations as volunteers with initial special training. The news comes from Interfax and highlights a shift in how Russia could structure its peacekeeping force as lawmakers discuss broader participation by trained service members.
Under current Russian law, peacekeeping units are restricted to personnel who serve on a contract basis, with conscripts excluded from peacekeeping missions. This framework limits the pool of eligible personnel and ties participation to voluntary career paths within the armed forces, rather than opening it to the broader conscripted cohort that makes up a portion of the military’s manpower.
The Defense Committee of the State Duma notes that adopting the proposed changes would boost the country’s ability to mobilize suitable personnel for peacekeeping tasks. By broadening the eligibility criteria to include volunteers with preliminary training, the plan envisions a more flexible approach to staffing missions while maintaining standards of readiness and discipline expected of peacekeeping contingents.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defense proposed expanding the categories of military personnel who can voluntarily join Russia’s peacekeeping missions, even if this increases the role of conscripts in such operations. The proposal progressed through several ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergencies, the FSB, the FSO, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the National Guard, and the Presidential Special Programs Main Directorate, among others, signaling broad cross‑agency interest in reconfiguring how peacekeeping duties are staffed.