Russian Federation - Information related to military service and mobilization

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Information on military service, conscription, and mobilization

The following publications by EUAA, the Danish Immigration Service and the Swedish Migration Agency provide background information:

For earlier developments, see our previous information collection on the partial military mobilization (last update in March 2023).

The most recent documents on the issue

These are the most recent documents from a search for terms related to the topics: (You can find more, and customise your search under this search link.)

Considered synonyms: combat, combat service, combat services, deserters, deserteur, deserteure, desertions, draft, drafts, einberufung, einberufung, einberufungen, einberufungen, fahnenflucht, heeresdienst, heeresdienst, heeresdienste, heeresdienste, kriegsdienst, kriegsdienst, kriegsdienste, kriegsdienste, military draft, military drafts, military service, military services, militärdienst, militärdienst, militärdienste, militärdienste, präsenzdiener, präsenzdiener, präsenzdienerin, präsenzdienerin, präsenzdienerinnen, präsenzdiener·in, präsenzdiener·in, präsenzdiener·innen, präsenzdienst, präsenzdienst, präsenzdienste, präsenzdienste, rekrut, rekruten, rekruten, rekrutin, rekrutin, rekrutinnen, rekrut·in, rekrut·in, rekrut·innen, services, waffendienst, waffendienst, waffendienste, waffendienste, wehrdienst, wehrdienst, wehrpflicht, wehrpflicht, wehrpflichtige, wehrpflichtige, wehrpflichtiger, wehrpflichtiger, wehrpflichtige·r, wehrpflichtige·r

  • 25 January 2026 | ISW – Institute for the Study of War (Author)

    Russian Federation

    Analysis of military and security-related developments of the day

    Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 25, 2026 (Special or Analytical Report, English)

    • Russian state business outlet Kommersant reported on January 22 that the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) launched a federal recruitment drive for contract soldiers in the Russian USF.[10] Kommersant reported that the Russian MoD is now offering one-year contracts stipulating that the MoD can only place the recruit in the USF, cannot transfer the recruit to non-USF units (such as infantry), and […] must discharge the recruit upon the expiration of the original contract if the recruit refuses to sign a renewal. […] Astra reported that the lawyer stated this standard contract could allow the Russian military command to assign these recruits as infantry and send them to the frontlines, possibly keeping the students in the military even after the expiration of the one-year contract.
    enID 2135727

  • 19 January 2026 | ISW – Institute for the Study of War (Author)

    Russian Federation

    Analysis of military and security-related developments of the day

    Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 19, 2026 (Special or Analytical Report, English)

    • operational control of the Dnepr Grouping of Forces), and 51st CAA (formerly 1st Donetsk People’s Republic [DNR] AC, under the operational control of the Central Grouping of Forces); and additional naval infantry and BARS (Russian Army Combat Reserve) elements.[58] Mashovets stated that the Bakhmut Tactical Group is composed of significantly less forces, including three regiments of the Russian mobilization
    enID 2135721

  • 14 January 2026 | CGRS-CEDOCA – Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (Belgium), COI unit (Author)

    Russian Federation

    Report on military service, contract soldiers and military mobilisation

    Russische Federatie; Legerdienst, contractsoldaten en mobilisatie (Special or Analytical Report, Dutch)

    • Report on military service, contract soldiers and military mobilisation
    • Bericht zu Wehrdienst, Vertragssoldat·innen und militärischer Mobilmachung
    • . --------------------------------------- Summary All male citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 are subject to compulsory military service. From the age of 18, they may be called up by the military commissariats for a medical and psychological examination. A call-up committee then decides whether they are suitable for military service and if they will actually be called up. […] A minority of men who are eligible for conscription actually perform their military service. Conscripts can appeal against a decision of the conscription committee. This appeal is not always suspensive. It is possible to obtain a deferral or exemption from military service. […] Corruption is rife in the evasion of military service. Once a conscript has completed their military service, they can still be prosecuted for unauthorised absence or desertion. Reports of raids and heavy-handed practices during the conscription process have emerged. […] The Russian authorities are taking active measures to ensure that persons who have acquired Russian citizenship also perform their compulsory military service. The law provides for alternative military service, which can be obtained in practice. However, it is unclear how many applications are accepted. Russian citizens can enlist in the Russian army on a contractual basis. […] [https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/explainer-russian-conscription-reserve-and-mobilization] https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-illegally-detained-conscripts-pressure/31926058.html [https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-illegally-detained-conscripts-pressure/31926058.html] https://t.me/pchikov/4661 [https://t.me/pchikov/4661] https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vCb_QdGscBkLUtYQpNxl5Q7I1XNisbnr
    nlID 2135270

  • 14 January 2026 | ISW – Institute for the Study of War (Author)

    Russian Federation

    Analysis of military and security-related developments of the day

    Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 14, 2026 (Special or Analytical Report, English)

    • The Rada approved former Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov as the new minister of defense on January 14.[29] The Rada also approved former Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal as the new minister of energy and first deputy prime minister.[30] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on January 14 that Fedorov will prioritize finding systematic solutions to Ukraine’s mobilization
    enID 2135486

  • 13 January 2026 | BBC News (Author)

    Russian Federation

    Article on the recruitment of foreigners for the Russian army via the Telegram channel of a Russian woman

    'We were tricked': How one woman lures foreign men to fight on Russia's front line (Media Report, English)

    • The former teacher's smiling video messages and upbeat posts offer "one-year contracts" for "military service". The BBC World Service has identified nearly 500 cases where she has provided documents, referred to as invitations, which allow the recipient to enter Russia to join the military. […] Domestically, Russia has expanded conscription, recruited prisoners and offered increasingly generous sign-up bonuses to maintain its operation in Ukraine, despite substantial losses. More than one million of its soldiers have been killed or wounded since the full-scale invasion in 2022, with 25,000 killed in the month of December 2025 alone, according to Nato. […] Many felt Azarnykh had misled or exploited recruits. They told us the men knew they were joining the military, but did not expect to serve on the front line. Several, like Omar, felt they had inadequate training or thought they would be able to leave after a year. […] The BBC could not confirm this, although other recruits also told us they believed she received payment. == 'Nothing happens for free' == Azarnykh's posts from mid-2024 begin to note that recruits will be "participating in hostilities" and mention foreign fighters who have died in combat. "You all understood well that you were going to war," she says in one video in October 2024. […] Kateryna Stepanenko, a research fellow at the Institute for the Study of War, told the BBC some municipal and regional authorities in Russia have been offering cash incentives of up to $4,000 (£2,970) to individuals such as HR professionals and local residents who recruit Russians or foreigners into military service.
    enID 2135386
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