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Russian Military Personnel - Conscription

The defense of the Fatherland is the duty and obligation of a citizen of the Russian Federation. In 2013, 303,230 Russians were called up for military service as conscripts in the army and navy; in 2020 - almost 40,000 less (exactly 263,000). At the same time, the number of the Russian Armed Forces did not decrease. And this meant that thanks to contract soldiers, whose number is increasing every year, though slowly, there was simply less need for more conscripts.

Russia's spring 2025 draft called up 160,000 men, the highest since autumn 2011, over 10,000 higher than the same period in 2024. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on 29 September 2025 signed a decree on the autumn military conscription for compulsory service in the ranks of the Russian army. It will begin on October 1 and last until December 31. The corresponding one was published on the legal information portal of the Russian Federation. According to the document, 135,000 people aged 18 to 30 are planned to be called up for military service. — In comparison, last year's fall draft brought in 133,000 conscripts. In September, the Russian State Duma approved in the first reading a bill on conscription into the Russian army throughout the year. If it is adopted as a whole, then starting in 2026, draft boards in the country will operate continuously, but conscription will take place according to the previous schedule — twice a year: from April 1 to July 15 and from October 1 to December 31.

The share of conscripts in the Russian army is currently about a third of the total number, the rest of the seats are staffed with contract servicemen, said Vladimir Shamanov, head of the State Duma's defense committee 15 March 2021. "Today we have about 30% of the conscripts left, the rest are all contract soldiers," he said at a roundtable in the State Duma. As Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu reported in March 2020 at a plenary meeting of the Federation Council, the number of conscripts over the past seven years has decreased to 225 thousand, and the number of contract soldiers has exceeded 405 thousand. petty officers positions, combat units of special forces, marines, battalion tactical groups, as well as positions related to the operation of complex equipment.

Conscription was carried out 2 times a year: from 1 April to 15 July and from 1 October to 31 December. Since 2008, during the time of the country's military reform, the overall strength of the army was reduced to 1 million people, while the share of conscripts has decreased, the number of contractors. In 2013, the service was made more than 81 thousand, contracts for the posts of sergeants and privates. By 2016 the total number of this category of personnel more than 230,000 men.

The largest number of recruits in recent years, was aimed at the spring of 2009 - 305,560 people.. In the fall of 2010 on military service received 278,800 people, in the spring of 2011 - 218,720, in the autumn - 135,850. In the course of the spring draft 2012 troops 155, 570 people were sent, in the autumn of 2012 - 140,140. In the spring of 2013 the Russian army recruited 153,200 people, in the autumn - 150,000. As a result of the spring conscription in the Russian Armed Forces in 2014 to 154,000 troops. On alternative civil service directed 325 people. The total number of draft dodgers in the spring of 2014, according to the War Department, was 4,334.

On 13 March 2023, a group of State Duma deputies led by Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the Duma Defense Committee, submitted a bill to the lower house for consideration on a phased increase in the draft age for military service to 21 years. According to the initiative, the draft age in 2024 will be from 19 to 30 years, in 2025 - from 20 to 30 years, in 2026 - from 21 to 30 years. At the same time, those who wish will be able to go to military service from the age of 18, despite the increase in the draft age. If passed, the law will enter into force on January 1, 2024. The authors explained that the lower bar is raised for "guaranteed receipt by citizens of secondary general, secondary vocational and higher education."

The initiative to change the draft age was made by the head of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation at the final meeting of the collegium of the military department on December 21, 2022. President Vladimir Putin, who was present at the meeting, supported this idea. At the same time, Shoigu proposed to increase the number of military personnel in the armed forces to 1.5 million (in 2022 it was about 1 million, and from 2023 it increased to 1.15 million), as well as to increase the number of contract soldiers to 695 thousand.

At the same time, the proposed norm will lead to a reduction in the number of potential recruits, so the upper age limit is raised "as compensation." A transitional period is envisaged until 2026. So, in 2024, Russians aged 19 to 30 will be subject to conscription, in 2025 - from 20 to 30, and in 2026 - from 21 to 30. At the same time, the bill allows adult young people to go into the army before the military age.

At the same time, those who wish, despite the increase in the draft age, will be able to go to military service from the age of 18. In addition, for citizens aged 27 to 30 who are in the reserve and who have not completed military service by conscription, without legal grounds, it is possible to do it at will.

The deputies planned to consider a bill on the right of citizens with a criminal record to serve under a contract in the RF Armed Forces. Amendments are being made to the law "On military duty and military service." According to the document, during the period of mobilization, martial law and in wartime, a contract for military service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation can be concluded with citizens who have served their sentences, whose criminal record has been extinguished, as well as with those who have a criminal record, with the exception of those who have committed grave and especially serious crimes, and with those who committed crimes of small or medium gravity, if the preliminary investigation is suspended. The features of the conclusion of such contracts will be determined by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

In the first reading, the deputies also plan to consider a draft basic law on the grounds for exemption from criminal liability of NVO fighters, introduced by a group of State Duma deputies and senators on June 13. The document implies that persons who have committed crimes of small and medium gravity, called up for mobilization service or who have entered into a contract with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, are exempt from criminal liability from the date of dismissal from service or receipt of a state award. A similar procedure is prescribed for convicts whose sentences have entered into legal force.

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 16, 1999 No. 1237 " Issues of military service " provides for the possibility of sending conscripted military personnel (including as part of a subunit, military unit, formation) to perform tasks in armed conflicts (for participation in hostilities), but only after they have completed military service for at least four months and after training in military specialties (clause 3, article 2 of the Regulations on the procedure for military service, approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 16, 1999 city #1237). But despite the existence of such an opportunity, as of late 2022 it was not planned to involve persons undergoing military service on conscription to participate in a special operation conducted on the territory of Ukraine.

As a rule, conscripts are sent for military service to nearby regions located in the neighborhood of the place of conscription. For example, conscripts living in Kamchatka, Chukotka, Sakhalin and on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, if they are fit for service in the Navy for health reasons and other requirements, are usually assigned to military units and ships of the Pacific Fleet, living in the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions - to military units and ships of the Northern Fleet, and living in the Kaliningrad region - to military units and ships of the Baltic Fleet.

Not everyone has a chance to get into elite military units, for example, into the airborne troops, military units of the marine corps and special forces - young people who are better prepared physically than others, have high moral and business qualities and arrived in military commissariats at the very beginning of the draft have priority in this matter and they will be provided with a wider choice of types and types of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for service. But the final decision is up to the draft board.

On 27 September 2017, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree calling on citizens of the Russian Federation to enlist in the military service in October-December 2017 and dismissal of conscripted military personnel. "To carry out from October 1 to December 31, 2017, the conscription for the citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 27 years <...> in the number of 134,000 people," - said in a decree published on the official portal of legal information. In October-December 2016, the number of recruits amounted to 152 thousand Russian citizens.

About 142,000 people were called for the passage of military service in the Russian Armed Forces, military units and other troops during the spring conscription of 2017, which ended 15 July 2017, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The number of deviators, as calculated by the military establishment, was 0.2% of the conscripts causes a draft boards. "As citizens, failed to appear in the military enlistment offices, their number is decreasing every year significantly", - stressed in the Ministry of Defense. In the spring conscription campaign for alternative civilian service to date, 395 people were sent. There were currently 970 people in alternative service.

The call for military service was completed in Russia, recruited, as planned, 128,000 people. This was announced 16 July 2018 by the head of the Main Organizational-Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant-General Yevgeny Burdinsky. "In the spring of 2018, 128,000 people were drafted and sent to the Russian Armed Forces, other troops, military formations and bodies for military service," he said, noting that the call-up tasks had been fully implemented.

Burdinsky added that the number of people who did not attend the military commissariats on the citizens' agendas "is insignificant and currently does not exceed 0.3% of the number called for recruitment activities." In the spring of 2017, 142 thousand new recruits were sent to military service, 134 thousand in autumn calls last year. A significant reduction in the number of recruits in this campaign was associated with an increase in the number of contract soldiers in the Armed Forces.

About 80% of young people drafted into the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the autumn of 2018 are considered fit for military service for health reasons, which exceeds the fall draft in 2017, said on 12 December 2018 the head of the General Organization and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant-General Yevgeny Burdinsky. "The indicator of citizens' fitness for military service for health reasons is more than 79% and exceeds the indicator of fitness for the autumn draft of 2017 (78.6%)," said Burdinsky at a briefing on the preliminary results of the autumn draft campaign of 2018 before sending military personnel to scientific companies and personal reception of citizens at the assembly point of Moscow.

The number of draft dodgers for military service in Russia for two years has halved, at present their total number is estimated at 1.6 thousand. This was said on 07 October 2018 on the radio station " Echo of Moscow " by the Chief of the Main Organizational-Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant-General Yevgeny Burdinsky. "In two years, from 2016, the number of citizens who shy away has halved. Now it is 1.6 thousand people," Burdinsky said. He noted that a sharp reduction in the number of draft dodgers indicates a fundamental change in the attitude of young people towards military service.

According to the law of July 6, 2006 "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in connection with the reduction of the term of military service" for those designed after 1 January 2008, the service life is 12 months. In addition, citizens who had graduated from college, but did not have a military rank officer and intended for military service before January 1, 2008, are also to serve 12 months. Individuals also had graduated from military training centers at universities, can take service under the contract for three years. Over "military departments" with the assignment officer's rank shall be credited to the reserve.

The right to deferment from military service were the students of day departments of universities, state-accredited (without a break in their studies). Respite is provided by graduate citizens who study full-time. The right to deferment also have a person received a vocational school or college after 11 years of schooling.

In April 2007 Colonel General Vasily Smirnov, the head of the mobilization directorate of the General Staff, told reporters that there was a way out of the complicated situation and rejected the possibility that the 24-month conscription term will return in the future. Smirnov said that simultaneously with cutting the conscription term, the new legislation will reduce the number of official reasons that potential draftees could claim a deferment (from 25 to 21). "This way we will get about 100,000 men in the draft... and this quantity is sufficient for manning the Russian military," the general told RIA Novosti. This year, the General Staff planned to enlist 132,300 thousand men, he said.

Under a new law adopted to speed up the transition to a volunteer force, those conscripted in 2007 year will serve 18 months, down from 24 months until 2006. As of 2008, those conscripted will serve only 12 months. While enlisted men's wages, depending on the armed service, can be from about 8,000 rubles ($300) in the Ground Forces to 13,000 rubles ($500) in the Navy per month, the average wage in the country was about 11,000 rubles ($430) last September, up 24.3%, year-on-year.

The term of military service was reduced from two years to one year. At the same time there was the humanization of military service. If possible, draftees may send for duty near their residence (first of all it concerns the citizens, married with children, or parents of retirement age). Service members would be able to wear civilian clothes dismissal from the military unit to communicate with the house on a mobile phone. Today, soldiers are completely liberated from all kinds of chores - they are now performing civilian structures. Improved quality of military power. It is phased transition to catering to the elements of the "buffet". The arrangement of units installed showers and washing machines.

Since the early 2000s no young men from Chechnya, and only a few from other North Caucasus republics, had been drafted. That ban has been lifted: as of the fall 2014 draft, 500 Chechens would be inducted, with priority going to university graduates. The figure would rise to 1,000 in 2015. The planned total number of draftees from the North Caucasus Federal District in the fall of 2014 is 4,100, of whom 2,000 would come from Daghestan, 600 from Kabardino-Balkaria, and 500 from Ingushetia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on spring conscription of citizens for military service on 25 March 2015. The document was published on the official website of legal information. "To carry out from 1 April to 15 July 2015 conscription of citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 27 years old ... be called up for military service in the amount of 150 thousand 145 people", - stated in the decree. The same decree regulated transfer to the reserve of those whose term of military service has expired. During the autumn call in 2014 for military service were called to 154.1 thousand. people. In addition, another 458 people planned to send for alternative civilian service.

On 30 September 2015 President Vladimir Putin signed a decree "On the appeal in October - December 2015 citizens of the Russian Federation for military service and dismissal from military service of citizens passing military service." The document posted on the website of the President stated "To carry out from 1 October to 31 December 2015 the conscription of citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 27 years, not in the reserve, and be in accordance with the law" On Military Duty and Military Service "for military service, in number of 147,100 people, "- the document said.

More than 155,000 people were called up for military service in the spring call, which started on 01 April 2016. The corresponding decree was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the chief of the Main Organization and Mobilization Directorate (Mobilization) General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Colonel-General Vasily Tonkoshkurov, more than 550 people will be alternative civilian service. "This spring will be called up for military service about 20 thousand conscripts who have received training in military occupational specialties in educational institutions DOSAAF Russia and secondary special education for the first time in the armed forces will be sent to recruits, trained in the field Airborne.." - He added.

The Russian army completely fulfilled the task of the spring draft, in which for military service were called to 155 thousand, the press service of the Defense Ministry reported 15 July 2016. "During the spring conscription campaign for military service by conscription in the Russian Armed Forces, other troops and military formations were called and sent to 155 thousand Russian citizens Target set by presidential decree, carried out in full.", it said in a statement. At the same time the army went to more than 26 thousand citizens with higher education.

Russian draftees will not take part in combat operations, a top Russian defense official said 15 February 2013. “There is no talk of draftees’ participation in combat operations or military conflicts,” Russian General Staff Chief Col. Gen. Valery Gerasimov said while commenting on a recent presidential decree cutting the duration of combat training programs. “These tasks will be fulfilled solely by contract servicemen,” Gerasimov, who is also a deputy Russian defense minister, said.

In the fall of 2015 the draft called for service more than 147 thousand Russians, and the spring of 2016 - 155 thousand. The number of contract servicemen in the Russian Armed Forces are constantly growing: only since the beginning of the year were recruited more than 50 thousand troops under the contract, and now they are in the army more than 350 thousand. As told by the chief of the Main Organization and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff Vasily Tonkoshkurov, more than 20 thousand people from the autumn to be the call have already received training in military occupational specialties, which they passed in organizations DOSAAF and secondary vocational education.

On 28 September 2018 Vladimir Putin signed a decree calling in October-December 2018 for 132,500 Russian citizens for military service and dismissal of military conscripts from military service. The document was published at the official portal of legal information. "To carry out from October 1 to December 31, 2018 the conscription of citizens of the Russian Federation aged between 18 and 27 <...> in the number of 132,500 people," the decree said. The document also instructed "to implement <...> the discharge from military service of soldiers, sailors, sergeants and foremen, the term of conscription military service has expired." In March 2018, 128,000 people were drafted into the military service by presidential decree.

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree 01 October 2019 calling for 132 thousand Russian citizens to military service from October to December 2019, and the dismissal of citizens who are conscripted from military service. In the spring, 135 thousand people were called up to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

On 30 March 2020 Putin signed a decree on the draft for military service in the Russian Federation 135 thousand people from April 1. "From April 1 to July 15, 2020, call up for military service citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 27 years who are not in stock and subject to ... military service, in the amount of 135,000 people," the decree said. Last spring, 135 thousand people were also drafted into the ranks of the Russian army.

On 30 September 2020 Putin signed a decree on the conscription of Russian citizens for military service in October - December 2020 and on the dismissal of those whose conscription term has ended. According to the text of the decree, from October 1 to December 31, 128,000 people will be called up for military service.

The autumn conscription in Russia in 2021 will affect 127.5 thousand people. The corresponding decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin was published on 01 October 2021. on the official portal of legal information. "To carry out from October 1 to December 31, 2021, the conscription for military service of citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 27 years, who are not in the reserve and are subject to <...> conscription for military service, in the amount of 127,500 people," in the document.

The spring draft of 2022 will affect 82 of the 85 Russian regions, it will be held as planned. Colonel General Yevgeny Burdinsky , head of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, stated this in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper published on March 30. He noted that the draft commissions will start working from April 1. The call will be held in all regions, except Komi, Yamalo-Nenets and Nenets Autonomous Okrugs. Here such events take place only in the fall. All military personnel on conscription upon expiration of their term of service will be released in a timely manner and sent home. In the spring, it is planned to recruit 134.5 thousand people into the ranks of the armed forces. “The events of the upcoming draft are in no way connected with the conduct of a special military operation, since only officers and contract servicemen are sent to participate in it, ” Colonel General Yevgeny Burdinsky , head of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, stressed.

On November 1, 2022, the autumn conscription for military service started in Russia. It is a scheduled event and takes place every year from October 1st. However, this year the deadline for the start of the draft campaign was postponed by a month - this was done due to the heavy workload on the military commissariats and draft commissions as part of the ongoing partial mobilization, which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on September 21 , 2022. According to paragraph 1 of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 691, this season it was planned to call up 120 thousand citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 27 years who are not in the reserve and are subject to conscription. This is less than last autumn by more than 7.5 thousand people.

On 30 March 2023, Vladimir Putin signed a decree on spring conscription, which will begin on April 1 and last until July 15. The document was published on the official Internet portal of legal information. During this campaign, it is planned to call up 147,000 Russians who are not in the reserve and meet the requirements of the law "On military duty and military service." The head of state instructed the government, regional authorities and draft commissions to ensure the implementation of activities related to the draft. As Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defense Committee, clarified, conscripts will not be sent to serve in the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Also, the project on a phased change in the age of recruits will not affect the spring draft.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an annual decree 29 September 2023 on the autumn conscription of Russian citizens for military service. “To carry out, from October 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023, conscription for military service of citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 27 years who are not in the reserves and are subject to <...> conscription for military service, in the amount of 130 thousand people” , says the document.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on spring draft for military service in Russia 31 March 2024. According to new rules, in effect since January 1, the conscription will involve those aged 18-30, with the exception of those who turned 27 before the end of 2023 and those who are 28 or 29 or are in reserve. "(I hereby decree to) carry out the conscription of Russian citizens aged between 18 and 30, not in reserve and eligible for conscription, between April 1 and July 15, 2024, in the quantity of 150,000 people," the decree said.

Replenishing large-scale losses has become the main task of the Russian regime. Meanwhile, Putin, during the so-called “direct line,” said that there would be no next wave of mobilization in Russia, Protests by the wives of the mobilized continue in the country. They demand the return of their husbands from the front. Women wear white scarves. They declared them a symbol of the mobilized relatives. But experts are confident that the relatives of those called up to war will not be able to reach the Kremlin. The authorities are already trying to take control of them. “These protests can be used after the elections, when a new wave of mobilization is needed. They will say: “Look, our brothers have served their time, they have been fighting the enemy there for 2 years, their wives are crying, we need rotation.” Therefore, we are resorting to introducing a new wave of mobilization,” noted sociologist and publicist Igor Eidman. During the so-called “direct line,” Putin said that there would be no second wave of mobilization in the country. I just forgot to say that the first one never stopped. “I think Putin’s rating is falling and the level of support for the war is falling. Therefore, apparently, in the very near future they will go… If voluntary-compulsory is going on now, then I think that soon there will be forced-voluntary or even completely forced,” Gudkov said.

Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul is confident that after the pseudo-elections in the federation there will be another wave of mobilization. “I think that mobilization after the presidential elections is inevitable. The ranks of the Russian military are depleted, the losses are catastrophic. To maintain the status quo on the battlefield, he will have to send even more young Russian men to die in Ukraine. He has no choice if he wants to maintain his current position, and this measure will also be unpopular,” McFaul said.

Member of the Defense Committee Viktor Zavarzin told the publication Podem 22 March 2024 that there are still enough reserves and contract soldiers. He emphasized that the counter-offensive is quite active along the entire front, and the Russian Armed Forces are not experiencing a shortage of ammunition. Military bloggers suggested that this spring the Russian Armed Forces could launch an attack on Kharkov, and this would be difficult to do without additional mobilization.

Vladimir Putin took part in the plenary session of the XXVII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 07 June 2024: "If we follow the recommendations that you made, if we want to do this as quickly as possible, then the current contingent is not enough for us. But we adhere, as I said, to a different tactic: we push the enemy out of those territories that should be brought under our control. In this sense, we have no need to mobilize. We don't plan this. We mobilized, we called up 300 thousand people. But last year, without any mobilization, our men, our patriotic people, voluntarily came to the military registration and enlistment office and signed contracts with the Armed Forces. There were over 300 thousand people. (Applause.) Since the beginning of this year, over 160 thousand people have come to military registration and enlistment offices and signed contracts. Every day, more than a thousand people come to military registration and enlistment offices voluntarily. You know, when we see what the Russian character is, what the character of a Russian citizen is, we understand this and rely on it, we do not need any atomic weapons for final victory. (Applause.)"

In November 2024, draft dodgers from Moscow began receiving messages that they were banned from leaving the country. The notifications come through the Mos.ru portal. Those who do not go to the military registration and enlistment office are threatened with other restrictions. The fact that Muscovites began to receive all sorts of notifications with scary words that they are prohibited from traveling abroad has no legal force, it is nothing more than spam. The point of the campaign is to completely confuse the minds of the average citizen and create the complete feeling that if he received a notification, a text message, a call, a summons with the signature "Sincerely yours, military commissar", it means that nothing can be done. That's not true. All these calls, text messages and messages in messengers are spam. The point is to make inattentive citizens go to the military registration and enlistment office, and then by any means leave them there and persuade them to sign a contract. Conscripts are persuaded to sign a contract immediately, without waiting for the three-month term of service: in the Pskov region, such persuasion is carried out by the military commissar for the Strugo-Krasnensky, Gdovsky and Plyussky districts, Fyodor Zakirov. Conscript service does not allow soldiers to be sent to hot spots, including to fight against Ukraine, so military commissars regularly persuade and force conscripts to sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry. Persuasion takes place already at the assembly point. This is legal, the Soldiers' Mothers movement clarifies. The current law "On military duty and military service" allows citizens to immediately choose contract service instead of conscription. A conscript has the right to sign a contract for at least two years. The 2024 autumn draft in Russia was carried out harshly. The police grabbed draft-age guys on the streets, in the subway, night clubs, universities, breaking into dormitories and apartments and forcibly, sometimes in handcuffs, taking them to military registration and enlistment offices. The presence of diseases does not save, and it is useless to challenge it in court. Law enforcement officials often resort to deception, claiming that the conscript is allegedly wanted. These methods are illegal and must be appealed, according to lawyers. Many large cities in Russia have reported raids during the autumn conscription campaign. Most often, from Moscow and St. Petersburg. The police took a 19-year-old resident of Moscow right off the street. Timofey is a first-year student at a university. He was immediately taken to the assembly point on Ugreshskaya. The police explained to him that he was wanted for draft evasion and that he was identified by CCTV cameras. According to the student, the police threatened him with a criminal case for refusing to go to the assembly point. At the military registration and enlistment office, they took his phone and did not allow him to call a lawyer. In the Moscow and St. Petersburg metro, young people are identified by video cameras, after which police officers immediately take them to a collection point. They are often taken in handcuffs. The police themselves do not understand what to do with the detainee. Their order is to hand over the conscript to the military registration and enlistment office, but by and large they do not care about this. In St. Petersburg, military commissars organized raids with the support of the riot police: St. Petersburg food court at the Sennaya shopping center. Military commissars in balaclavas checked the military IDs of students in queues at the food courts. They worked the support of the riot police. Three military commissars and a crowd of riot police. They took a cashier from bubble tea somewhere. Almost all the students who were not detained fled from the food court. St. Petersburg, metro Sennaya, address Efimovo 3, raids, lots of SOBR and lots of military, they're rounding up everyone, asking for documents! They're taking away conscripts' passports to take them to the military registration and enlistment office to check registration. There are many more young people in Moscow – they come here to work, study, build a career. That is why raids are mostly carried out here. In Izhevsk and annexed Sevastopol, conscripts came to the assembly point to appeal their fitness category, but they were also detained. Only those who resisted were released, A special regime has been introduced throughout the Chelyabinsk region. The police meet flights at the airport and issue summonses to everyone who arrives, – says Ivan Chuvilyaev from the “Go to the Forest” movement. According to him, in this conscription campaign, military registration and enlistment offices are using the usual methods: raids, handcuffing, fan mailing of summonses. But there is also a significant difference from previous campaigns: the context has changed. "I hope that today everyone has already realized that compulsory military service is mortally dangerous. The concept of compulsory military service has changed. The line between a contract soldier and a conscript is very blurred. And this is many times more terrible than Chechnya. Back then, television in the country was independent. And Channel One showed what hazing was like in the Vzglyad program, and the NTV news showed refrigerators filled with frozen corpses. Now no civil or public institutions work," Chuvilyaev notes. Therefore, it is important for a conscript to know his rights. "If you are told that you are "wanted", do not believe it: a search is only possible within the framework of a criminal case. Tell your relatives or a trusted person about what is happening. Record video or audio conversations, record the names and positions of officials. Do not give up your passport and do not sign anything. Demand to see the summons and explain the reasons for the detention. They have no legal grounds to take you to the military registration and enlistment office. If you have a current summons, show it and say that you intend to appear at the specified time. If you filed a claim in court, present a copy of it," the "Go to the Forest" movement advises. The police have the right to detain draft dodgers only if there are criminal cases against them. The second case when detention is possible: if the military commissar has initiated a case of administrative violation against the conscript. In this case, there must be a written determination from the military commissar. And the police can only deliver such citizens to the department, but not to the military commissariat. But almost always the police act illegally. They do not have any written requests, and when asked about the reason for the detention, they say that the conscript is allegedly listed in some wanted list. And they take this conscript not to the police department, but directly to the military registration and enlistment office. And here they do not draw up a protocol on an administrative offence against him, but conduct conscription activities. And all this is illegal. Both the actions of the police and the actions of the military registration and enlistment office employees.