Russian lawmakers push to expand age range for military conscription

The Russian Parliament’s lower house on Tuesday raised its age limit for military conscription from 27 to 30. The change will make more men eligible for conscription, with some lawmakers saying the wider age range will offer better recruits. Twice a year, Russia calls up men between the ages of 18 and, now, 30 for compulsory military service. All men must complete one year of service before they age out of the draft. The bill still needs to be endorsed by the upper house and signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law.

What does this mean about the war? Russia had planned to increase recruits long before the alleged uprising last month. Lawmakers announced their intention to increase military personnel by 30 percent last year, meaning the push to increase the recruitment age limit serves as a long-term plan rather than a temporary fix to a military breakdown.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report in WORLD Magazine about who supports the Russian military during its invasion of Ukraine.