[Discussion] Russia Shifts to Year-Round Military Draft to Streamline Conscription and Boost Forces

[Uncrowned Guard]

Russia Overhauls Military Draft System with Year-Round Conscription

President Vladimir Putin has enacted a landmark shift in Russia’s conscription policy, signing a law on November 4 that transitions the country from a biannual draft system to continuous, year-round conscription starting in 2026. The new directive, published on Russia’s legal acts portal, reflects a strategic pivot in how Moscow manages its military manpower amid ongoing conflict and shifting geopolitical pressures.

Transition from Seasonal Drafts to Full-Year Enlistment

For decades, Russia’s conscription model relied on two annual intake periods — in the spring and autumn — pulling young men into one year of compulsory military service. Under the new framework, while new recruits will continue to join the armed forces during the familiar draft windows (April 1–July 15 and October 1–December 31), the supporting infrastructure will operate throughout the year. Draft boards and medical commissions at military enlistment offices will now process potential conscripts continuously, aiming to streamline and modernize the draft process.

Andrei Kartapolov, the chair of Russia’s parliamentary Defense Committee and the architect of the reform, argued that the measure is designed to reduce administrative bottlenecks for regional military commissariats and ensure more consistent preparation of new recruits.

Conscription Amid Ongoing Conflict and Changing Recruitment Tactics

Although Russian law ostensibly prohibits deploying conscripted soldiers beyond national borders, independent reports continue to surface suggesting that many young draftees are pressured into signing contracts with the Defense Ministry. These contractual obligations effectively convert them into professional contract soldiers, enabling deployment to hotspots such as Ukraine.

This reform arrives in the shadow of the 2022 mass mobilization: a historic draft which, for the first time since World War II, called up hundreds of thousands of reservists to address setbacks on the front lines. The mobilization provoked public unrest, drove an exodus of more than 261,000 Russians, and stoked widespread anxiety over further forced enlistments.

Strategic Shifts: Incentives Over Mobilization

Despite calls from some quarters for renewed mobilization, the Kremlin has hesitated to launch another mass draft. Instead, recent months have seen a concerted push to attract professional soldiers and volunteers through attractive financial incentives and targeted recruitment campaigns. These volunteers, lured by lucrative contracts, have become an essential source of manpower for Russian operations abroad, especially in Ukraine, where the intensity of fighting continues unabated.

Notably, the Kremlin has declared the 2022 mobilization “completed,” but a formal presidential order ending the measure has yet to materialize.

Implications for the Russian Military and Society

The move towards year-round conscription signals both logistical adaptation and deeper socio-political calculations by Russian authorities. Streamlining the draft process not only enables a more flexible and resilient mobilization capacity but also provides the military with a steadier flow of recruits, potentially reducing public backlash that accompanies abrupt, large-scale call-ups.

As Russia adapts its military strategies amidst ongoing conflict and international scrutiny, the full consequences of these changes — for both the armed forces and Russian society at large — will unfold over the coming years.

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