The reform, set to begin in 2026, will eliminate traditional draft seasons and aims to improve training as Moscow tries to swell its ranks to 1.5 million soldiers.
MOSCOW — Russia’s lower house of parliament approved a sweeping reform on Tuesday that establishes a year-round mandatory military draft, a significant move as the Kremlin continues a massive expansion of its armed forces amid its war in Ukraine.
The measure, passed by the State Duma, formally eliminates the traditional spring and autumn conscription periods, previously held from April to July and October to December. Instead, military summons can now be issued at any time.
Once signed into law by President Vladimir V. Putin, the new system is set to take effect in January 2026.
Under the new rules, conscripts will have 30 days to report to a recruitment office after receiving a summons. Those who fail to appear within that window will be considered draft evaders and placed on a federal wanted list, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.
Officials claim the change will improve the quality of military instruction and more evenly distribute the workload on recruitment centers throughout the year.
The reform is the latest step in Mr. Putin’s broader effort to increase military spending to levels unseen since the Soviet era and significantly grow the armed forces. In September 2024, he ordered the army to be expanded to 1.5 million active soldiers. The government is aiming to draft 135,000 men by the end of this year alone, the highest target in nine years.
The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that mandatory conscripts, who serve for one year, are not sent to fight in what it calls the “special military operation” in Ukraine. However, there have been multiple reports of draftees being sent to the front lines after their incorporation.
Officially, men who complete their mandatory service are entered into the military reserves, making them the primary pool of manpower eligible to be mobilized for future combat.
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