The chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, Andrey Kartapolov, explained on a television broadcast that SMS messages supposedly sent by the Russian Ministry of Defense regarding mobilization should inform citizens that an agenda has been issued, but such messages should not be treated as the official summons themselves. He stressed that an SMS cannot be equated with a legal summons. The message would simply indicate that the call to military service has been recorded and will appear in the appropriate records, nothing more.
During the discussion, a citizen who did not receive an SMS was asked whether sanctions outlined in the law could be applied. Kartapolov responded negatively, noting that the exact content of the SMS has not been finalized. He suggested that the SMS could take several possible forms and remains a work in progress rather than a finalized notice. He gave a hypothetical example of what an SMS might look like, saying it could read something like Dear citizen, a summons has been registered for you in the military service roster, please review it through the State Service portal. This example illustrates the intended function of the SMS without making any definitive legal claim.
Earlier, proposals at the Ministry of Defense to amend the rules governing mobilization calls were put forward. The department has indicated a need to inform mobilized individuals, especially in relation to the draft resolution that governs such calls, through short messaging service notifications. The proposed changes would ensure that ordinary subpoenas are electronically copied into the personal accounts of citizens within the public register of subpoenas issued or delivered to enlisted personnel.
The plan recommends notifying recipients through their personal accounts in government service portals as well as through their taxpayer accounts and via SMS. The ministry stated that the phone numbers registered in the government services system would be used to deliver these messages, aiming to streamline communication and reduce delays. This approach seeks to provide a standardized channel to confirm the receipt of mobilization notices and help individuals verify their status in official records. The overall aim appears to be to enhance transparency and speed in notifying citizens about mobilization processes while leaving room for careful definition of the exact content of the messages and the formal requirements for delivery and acknowledgment.