Russia Plans to Introduce Year-Round Military Conscription

In Russia, a proposal has been made to reform the current conscription system by introducing year-round military service, which would run from January 1 to December 31.

The head of the Defense Committee of the lower house of parliament has already submitted the proposed amendments to the State Duma.

The bill is expected to be reviewed in the fall, since the current session of the State Duma concludes on July 23.

According to the initiative, medical examinations, psychological evaluations, and draft board meetings will be conducted continuously throughout the entire year.

At the same time, the deployment of new conscripts to their service locations will remain within two periods – from April 1 to July 15 and from October 1 to December 31. This will be determined by a presidential decree, which will specify the units and the number of conscripts.

The document also introduces a new obligation: if a citizen loses the right to a deferment or does not receive a draft notice before the start of the deployment period, they are required to report to the military enlistment office independently within two weeks from the beginning of that period.

The explanatory note states that the current conscription system comprises several stages that occur within tight timeframes twice a year.

The authors emphasize that this system creates excessive pressure on draft boards, medical personnel, and military institutions.
Stretching the procedure over the course of a year, according to the initiators, will allow for a more even distribution of resources and optimize the process of staffing the armed forces.

Additionally, the authors expect that the new approach will improve the quality of medical and psychological screening among conscripts.

Recently, the Russian authorities have been actively modernizing legislation on mobilization and conscription, gradually increasing control over those liable for military service.

According to the British Defense Secretary, Russia has suffered 240,000 military casualties and wounded since the beginning of 2025.