Russia plans year-round military draft amid war losses
On July 22, Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, introduced a draft law that, if passed, would transform the country’s seasonal draft into a year-round conscription system, Kyiv Independent reports.
The bill proposes revising the current approach to conscription and stipulates that citizens will be drafted throughout the calendar year (from January 1 to December 31), based on a decree issued by the President of the Russian Federation,” reads the bill’s explanatory note.
Russia has incurred heavy losses in its war against Ukraine, prompting Moscow to expand recruitment efforts. This includes drawing in foreign fighters by offering incentives such as expedited Russian citizenship.
At present, Russia conducts conscription in two waves each year—spring and fall. Although the new legislation would technically allow for year-round conscription, most draftees are still expected to be called up during two main periods: April–July and October–December.
The bill also proposes deploying conscripts to their military service locations by presidential decree,” the document adds.
The bill was introduced and endorsed by Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the Duma’s Defense Committee, and his deputy, Andrei Krasov.
According to independent Russian media, their involvement suggests the initiative is backed by the Ministry of Defense, making its passage highly probable.
Russia’s spring parliamentary session ends on July 23. The bill is expected to be adopted in the fall and take effect on January 1, 2026.
Since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, Russia has reportedly lost 1,045,220 troops in Ukraine, according to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
