Putin signs a decree for compulsory military service that includes annexed areas of Ukraine

INTERNATIONAL / By Luis Moreno

The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, signed a decree this Friday for compulsory military service for the autumn season, which will begin on October 1 in all regions of the country, including those annexed into Ukrainian territory.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces has reported that the recruits will not be sent to participate in “special operations”, in reference to the Ukrainian front, nor to “deployment points” in “new regions”, in reference to those conquered by Moscow. in the context of the war, the TASS news agency has reported.

The duration of military service will be one year. In the last recruitment campaign, in spring, 147,000 people signed up and it is expected that this call will reach 130,000 recruits, as in previous ones, since it is the average number of applications.

A third of recruits will be sent to military training units. “Upon completion, according to the skills acquired, they will be incorporated into the troops,” said a spokesman for the Russian General Staff, reported the Interfax news agency.

Putin signed a law in August to raise the maximum recruitment age for military service from 27 to 30 years, although this measure will come into force on January 1, 2024, so the only change in this campaign is the increase from fines for failure to appear at the registry office.