Russia to Implement Digital-Only Draft Summons in Moscow, Select Regions Amidst Largest Conscription Drive in Nearly a Decade
Russia will transition to exclusively digital draft summonses in Moscow and three other regions - the Republic of Mari El, Ryazan, and Sakhalin – as it begins its fall 2025 military draft.The move comes as President Vladimir putin authorized the conscription of 135,000 men for compulsory service between October 1st and December 31st, marking the largest conscription drive since 2016.
The shift to digital summonses, alongside traditional paper notices, is part of a broader overhaul of Russia’s draft system initiated with a law signed by President Putin in april 2023.This legislation introduced the electronic summons program and a centralized digital registry of eligible men, streamlining the process and eliminating the previous requirement for in-person delivery of notices.
According to a senior military official, Yevgeny Burdinsky, speaking to the Defense Ministry newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda, citizens in the designated regions will receive summonses solely in electronic form. The system automatically imposes restrictions on draftees who fail to report for service, including travel bans. An electronic notice is legally considered served seven days after being posted online, nonetheless of whether the recipient has viewed it.
the digital registry allows authorities to issue summonses through the government portal Gosuslugi, by mail, or via the new digital database. Men who ignore summonses for 20 days face potential driving bans and limitations on accessing loans and real estate transactions.
Moreover, Russia’s State Duma last week passed the first reading of a bill that coudl lead to a year-round conscription model starting next year.
