Why Russia wants to implement year-round conscription: British intelligence explains reasons
Illustrative photo: Russia plans to implement year-round conscription (Getty Images)
The Russian authorities intend to carry out army conscription year-round. This is aimed at "reducing the population’s sensitivity" to such a process, this is reported in a review by British intelligence.
Intelligence noted that on September 24, the Russian State Duma approved in the first reading a bill allowing military conscription to take place throughout the year, rather than only in spring and autumn.
"This will likely provide a continuous flow of conscripts for the Russian army. Whilst this will allow the pre-draft processes to be distributed throughout the year, it is a realistic possibility that this change will also desensitise the population to the process," the intelligence report stated.
Autumn conscription
Incidentally, on September 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree calling up 135,000 men for military service.
The annual autumn conscription campaign in Russia began on October 1 and will continue until December 31 across the entire territory of Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. It applies to adult men aged 18 to 30.
As the British intelligence reminds, in spring 2025, 160,000 people were conscripted into the army. In comparison, 133,000 were conscripted in autumn 2024, and 150,000 in spring 2024.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested as Russia began conscription in the temporarily occupied territories on October 1.
