Conscription in Russia

Conscription in Russia (Russian: всеобщая воинская обязанность, romanized: vseobshchaya voinskaya obyazannost, translated as "universal military obligation" or "liability for military service") is currently a 12-month draft without pay, which is mandatory for all men who are between 18 and 30 years old, with a number of exceptions. Avoiding the draft is a felony under Russian criminal code and is punishable by up to 26 months of imprisonment or a sizeable fine. Women are exempt from conscription.

Employment of male citizens 18 to 30 years old is banned by the Labour Code of Russia unless military papers are provided to employers, who are required by law to keep records of all male employees. It is usually hard for draft-evaders to get employment and they are routinely discriminated against despite attempts by the Ministry of Labour to clarify that such discrimination is illegal. This severe and prolonged discrimination has resulted in a growing shadow economy in Russia.

In 2023, during the Russo-Ukrainian war, Putin's government made it harder to avoid mandatory unpaid military service and tightened legal responsibility. Besides mandatory military service, the Russian government has tried to lure conscripts into signing military contracts which as of 2022 became indefinite.

As of 2025 conscripts in Russia have indirectly supported the war effort in Ukraine by way of logistics and border service. The conscription law practically presumes draft dodgers guilty unless they prove innocence per law.


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