Vladimir Putin has raised the age limit at which Russian reservists can be called up to 55 in an apparent attempt to boost the number of troops for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
A new law signed by the Russian president means high-ranking officers can be called up until age 55, up from 50 previously, while privates and sergeants can be called up until age 40, up from 35.
The lower age limit for middle officers will be raised to 50, from 45 previously.
The changes, which will be rolled out gradually over a four-year period from 2024 to 2028, mean that high-ranking officers will eventually be able to serve by law until they are 70.
According to Russian law, anyone who has ever been in the army or is currently in the country’s reserve forces would be a prime candidate to be called up in the event of mobilization or a declaration of war by Moscow.
Russia has refrained from formally declaring war on Ukraine despite launching a full-scale invasion of its neighbor last February. Instead, he repeatedly described his offensive, both at home and abroad, as a “special military operation.”
Expand the pool of recruits
Putin’s decision to extend the age limits at which reservists can initially be called up will make it much easier to expand the pool of Russian military recruits in case the Kremlin announces a new wave of mobilization.
Putin’s amendments were part of a legislative campaign to close loopholes that made it relatively easy for Russians to dodge the bill. Russia’s parliament is expected to pass a bill on Tuesday that would increase fines for refusing to report to the enlistment office after receiving appeal papers.
The current meager fine of an equivalent of £4 is expected to rise to £250. Russians will also have to pay a fine for failing to notify the enlistment office of a change of address or contact information.
In April, Russia passed a law prohibiting travel to anyone called but who did not report to the enlistment office.
Government officials have said a database merging conscript records from enlistment offices with data available to border guards will make it impossible to legally flee the country once appeal papers have been served. The system is expected to be rolled out this summer.
Moscow ordered a “partial mobilization” of 300,000 reservists last September, prompting hundreds of thousands more to flee Russia to avoid being sent into combat.
A Russian NGO that helps reservists avoid being drafted described the latest amendments as potentially laying the groundwork for another mobilization, focused on an older cohort of potential troops.
“We must conclude that lawmakers are expanding the potential pool of labor that can be called upon in the event of likely mobilization,” the NGO Head to the Woods said in a statement.
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