Def. Cmte Chair Says Draft Age Limit To Be Raised, Risks Public Blowback

Chair of the Russian State Duma's Defence Committee Andrei Kartapolov has stated that the gov't could seek to raise the upper age limit for citizens to be drafted into the armed forces from 27 to 30 this spring. Meanwhile, the concurrent aim to raise the lower age limit from 18 to 21 is set to take one-to-three years according to Kartapolov. This plan, approved by President Vladimir Putin in Dec 2022, would effectively see a significant widening of the military draft pool.

• An expansion in the cohorts of Russian citizens that could be subject to conscription is not seen as a surprise, given Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's stated intention to raise the number of Russian combatants from 1.15mn to 1.5mn.
• Earlier in January, Kartapolov also proposed an extension to the period of time in which conscripts would have to serve in the armed forces.
• If both of these developments come to fruition it risks something of a public backlash in Russia. The only significant sign of public resistance or disquiet with the invasion of Ukraine came following the announcement of a general mobilisation in 2022. A change to the draft rules could have a similar impact as individuals that saw themselves as exempt are potentially called up to the front line.