Russia considers year-round military conscription under new draft bill

Russian lawmakers have proposed a bill that would introduce a year-round conscription process, replacing the country’s traditional biannual draft system.

The initiative, submitted to the State Duma by MPs Andrei Kartapolov and Andrei Krasov, aims to improve the efficiency of military recruitment, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

Under the current system, conscription takes place twice a year — in the spring and autumn — with draftees dispatched to military service between April 1 and July 15, and again from October 1 to December 31. 

The proposed legislation would keep these deployment windows but allow preparatory procedures such as medical examinations, psychological assessments, and draft board hearings to take place throughout the year.

The bill’s authors argue that spreading these steps across the calendar would reduce strain on enlistment offices and enhance the quality of recruitment.

According to an explanatory note attached to the draft, the move is designed to “ensure a more balanced workload for recruitment centres and improve the overall conscription process.”

If approved, the new system would come into force on January 1, 2026. The draft law is part of a wider effort to implement instructions issued by President Vladimir Putin aimed at modernising the conscription process.

By Aghakazim Guliyev