President Vladimir Putin directed senior officials from the Defense Ministry, Health Ministry, and regional administrations in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, to prepare proposals for releasing mobilized doctors from military duty.
The directive states that the Russian Defense Ministry, the Health Ministry, and the authorities of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, along with regional administrations, should recommend exemptions for prosthetists, orthopedists, and other medical specialists from military service during mobilization to the Russian Armed Forces. The list of instructions was published as part of the president’s order on January 13.
The plan should be ready by February 1, 2023. Once decisions are implemented, the heads of the Defense Ministry and Health Ministry, Sergei Shoigu and Mikhail Murashko, together with the leaders of the four newly established constituent entities of the Russian Federation, will oversee the process.
The minister of defense and the prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, were tasked with identifying the need for medicines and medical devices by February 1 to ensure medical support for casualties during the special military operation.
Partial mobilization in Russia
The partial mobilization announced on September 21 concluded a little over a month later on October 28. Official figures from the Defense Ministry indicated that about 300,000 individuals were mobilized from the reserve, and around 20,000 volunteers reported to military recruitment offices. Some workers in the defense industry and several socially important sectors were exempted from mobilization, and approximately 830,000 people received exemptions.
As stated by the Defense Ministry, individuals aged up to 35 for privates and sergeants, up to 50 for non-commissioned officers, and up to 55 for senior officers were mobilized.
Rosstat data show that in autumn 2021 there were about 737,400 doctors working in the country, with more than 78,000 holding surgical specialties. Paramedics numbered around 1.5 million. After mobilization was announced, some doctors left Russia to avoid subpoenas.
There are no precise figures on how many doctors were ultimately mobilized. A deputy chairman of the State Duma’s Health Protection Committee noted that the total need could be no more than about 3,000 doctors. Priority for mobilization was given to paramedics, anesthesiologists, resuscitation specialists, traumatologists, and orthopedic surgeons with experience in war zones or disaster medicine systems.
Shoigu previously highlighted the achievements of military medical personnel operating in conflict zones. He noted that hospital death rates were at historically low levels in armed conflicts, around 0.5 percent. Initial casualty care could be provided within the first ten minutes, and many patients reached military hospitals on the first day of injury.
Support of government
During a meeting with the president of Bashkortostan, Putin underscored the importance of state support for military personnel taking part in special operations. He remarked that when life is at risk, the attention of relatives and the state is a critical motivational factor for the service member.
The head of state stressed that support is essential and that people can sense it. He suggested that, often, the core concern is not primarily financial aid but the moral and practical backing that sustains daily life and mission readiness. He emphasized that soldiers should feel that the country stands with them and that the public should understand and support their duties and responsibilities.