Russia Hardens Conscription System Amid Ukraine War, Draftees Face Pressure to Fight

Russia has significantly tightened its conscription system, making it increasingly difficult for young men to avoid military service, particularly as the war in Ukraine continues. Previously avoidable pathways, such as medical exemptions or alternative civilian service, have become scarce, according to lawyers and conscript advocates.

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Before 2022, there were many ways to avoid the draft without doing anything illegal. Now very few legal ways remain.

The Russian authorities have implemented several changes to the conscription process. Conscription is now year-round, the upper age limit has been raised from 27 to 30, medical exemptions are more stringent, and an online summons system has been introduced. These measures, combined with increased surveillance, including facial-recognition cameras in Moscow's metro, make it easier for authorities to track and process potential draftees.

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The demand to find ways out of service had risen sharply.

Once conscripted, individuals often face immediate pressure to sign military contracts. These contracts are frequently presented as standard employment opportunities, promising regular working hours and higher pay, with assurances that they will not be sent to the front lines. However, these contracts are effectively open-ended and can lead conscripts to be deployed to Ukraine within a month.

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They are without means of communication, without access to parents, right groups or journalists.

Lawyers and rights groups note that conscripts are often isolated upon entering the military, lacking access to communication, legal support, or external reporting. This vulnerability is exploited to encourage contract signings. Despite official narratives, the number of conscripts ending up in the war is reportedly high, with some 422,000 Russians signing voluntary contracts to fight in Ukraine in the past year.

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It is a major success of the Russian authorities that they have convinced many people that conscripts simply serve for a year. As a result, conscripts are now ending up in the war in record numbers.