Russian Armed Forces Personnel

Peskov noted the need to put the mobilization system in order

Certain mistakes and shortcomings in the work of the mobilization system in Russia were noticed by everyone, not just specialists. The system should be put in order, Russian presidential press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on October 12, commenting on the words of Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov about the identified shortcomings during partial mobilization.

"Any state should have an effective mobilization system. This is not due to the continuation of mobilization, it is due to the fact that the system must be put in order," the Kremlin spokesman said.

According to Peskov, shortcomings in the work of the mobilization system are eliminated in its course.

"Something has been fixed, something still needs to be fixed," he stressed.

The Kremlin spokesman recalled the words of the Russian leader that if partial mobilization had not been announced, the country's authorities would not have known about the problems in the system.

Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov said that the mobilization system operating in Russia needs to be modernized. In particular, in his opinion, many troubles during partial mobilization could have been avoided if reservists, as required by law, reported to the military commissariats up-to-date information about themselves.

On October 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that during the partial mobilization" there is "enough confusion". According to him, if the mobilization had not been announced, they would not have seen the existing problems, they accumulated for a long time.

A day earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev stressed that partial mobilization in Russia is taking place as it can take place in a country where such a measure has not been introduced for 80 years.

Partial mobilization in Russia was announced by the President of the Russian Federation on September 21. The Russian leader stressed that the decision was made to protect the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity and ensure the security of its citizens.

Russia continues its special operation to protect the Donbass region, whose residents refused to recognize the results of the 2014 coup d'etat in Ukraine. The decision to hold it was made on February 24 amid the aggravation of the situation in the region due to the shelling of Ukrainian troops.

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General Staff: more than 15,000 people have signed up for volunteer units since the beginning of the special operation


More than 15,000 people signed up as volunteers to participate in a special operation in Ukraine. This was stated by the head of the 2nd Directorate of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate (GOMU) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Alexander Tulyaganov in the Federation Council.

“Currently, more than 15,000 people have gone through volunteer units,” he said.

According to Tulyaganov, they include both those who, without waiting for a summons, went to the zone of a special military operation during partial mobilization, and those who joined the volunteer detachments of their own free will before it.

The day before, on October 31, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the termination of the delivery of subpoenas and the completion of partial mobilization activities. Now the military registration and enlistment offices will recruit volunteers and candidates for contract soldiers to participate in the special operation.

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Decree on increasing the size of the Russian Armed Forces came into force

MOSCOW, January 1-RIA Novosti. Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin No. 575 of August 25, 2022 on increasing the number of domestic armed forces came into force.
According to the text of the document, the staffing level is set at 2 million 39 thousand 758 people, in their ranks — 1 million 150 thousand 628 military personnel.

To implement this paragraph of the decree of the Ministry of Defense, it is planned to allocate budget allocations from the federal budget.

At the final meeting of the Ministry of Defense, which took place on December 21, 2022, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that in order to guarantee the fulfillment of security tasks, the state needs to increase the total number of military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces to 1.5 million, and the number of contract soldiers — to 695 thousand people. By the end of this year, the number of contract servicemen will increase to 521,000.
In addition, the Minister noted at the board meeting, among the measures to strengthen the country's security, it is proposed to gradually increase the age of conscription from 18 to 21 years, and the maximum — to 30 years.


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NOTE: to clarify authorized Military Personnel = 1,150,628 and Civilian Personnel = 889,130

Reserve Call: who will go to military training in 2023


In 2023, military training camps for reserve servicemen will be held in Russia as planned. The start dates of the fees will be determined later, while the exact date is unknown. Izvestia analyzed who is usually called up for military training, how they are held, how they are paid, and how fees differ from mobilization.

When are military training camps in Russia?

Military training camps for reserve soldiers and officers are held annually. They are usually announced in late winter or early spring, and a special decree is issued for this purpose. So, in 2022, the decree on fees was signed on February 19, and in 2021 — on April 26. Reservists are called up for training in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation, state security agencies and the Federal Security Service.

Who is called up for military training, age

All reservists are divided into categories depending on their age and military rank. Each category has three categories, which also determine the time spent in the reserve. If a citizen has a special military rank, the age of conscription may increase. According to the general rules, privates and sergeants up to 35 years old, junior officers up to 50 years old, and senior officers up to 55 years old are called up to participate in military training. In addition to reserve soldiers, there are also reserve soldiers in the Russian armed Forces.

Who is listed in the reserve, age, rank

All military personnel after completing their service are enlisted in the reserve in different categories:
- enlisted personnel: soldiers, sailors, sergeants, petty officers, ensigns and midshipmen. The maximum period of service in the reserve is up to 50 years;
- junior officers: junior lieutenants, lieutenants, senior lieutenants and captains. Are listed in the reserve up to 60 years;
- senior officers: majors, captains of the 3rd-1st rank, lieutenant colonels and colonels. They remain in reserve for up to 65 years;
- senior officers: Major General, Lieutenant General, Colonel General, Army General, as well as Rear Admiral and admiral. They are kept in reserve for up to 70 years.

The reserve also includes those who::
— graduated from military training centers of federal universities;
— graduated from a military university or college;
- completed alternative civil service;
- released from conscription or received a deferral of up to 27 years;
- did not pass military service on conscription, without having legal grounds for it.

How do reserve soldiers differ from reservists?

On the state portal " We explain.Russian Federation" told what is the difference between reserve soldiers and reservists. Reservists are those who are in reserve, but have signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense to stay in the mobilization human reserve. They can work in any job, but they regularly go through military training and receive monthly payments.

How long do military training camps last in Russia?

The rules and organization of military training camps are regulated by Article 54 of the Federal Law "On Military Duty and Military Service". According to the law, the duration of military training can not exceed two months, and in total, from the moment of discharge to the reserve, a serviceman can spend no more than 1 year at the training camp. You can call up a reserve member for military training no more than once every three years. The exact duration of military training camps, the place and time of their holding are determined annually by the Ministry of Defense or another federal executive body.

Can I be sent to war from military training camps?

No. According to the same Article 54 of the Federal Law "On Military Duty and Military Service", military training camps are held only to check the combat training of reservists or to train them to work with new military equipment. Military training sessions for other purposes are not allowed. Therefore, participants in military training camps cannot be sent to the war zone.

What is the difference between military training and mobilization and conscription?

Conscription and enlistment are two completely different things. If men aged 18-27 are called up for military service in the army, then only citizens who are already in reserve are invited to military training camps. It should be noted that the age of conscription is planned to be raised from 18 to 21 years, and the age limit - from 27 to 30 years.

As part of the mobilization, as well as for military training, men from the reserve are called up. However, training camps, unlike mobilizations, are a planned annual event. The term of collecting can not exceed two months, while the terms of mobilization are set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

Spring Draft 2023: when, dates, and who is eligible

Summons for military training comes at least 10 days before the start of training. The start date of fees in 2023 has not yet been determined.

As in the case of urgent service, the summons is handed over personally to the conscript and under the signature. The beginning of military training is considered to be the day of departure from the military registration and enlistment office to the place of events, and the end is the day of departure from the place of military training or the day of return to the military registration and enlistment office. Ignoring the summons is considered an administrative offense and is punishable by a fine of 500 to 3000 rubles. But the decision to call for training camps can be appealed in court.

Who is exempt from military service

The following persons are exempt from military conscription:
- women—
- citizens with three or more minor children;
— completed alternative service;
- retired less than two years ago;
— citizens reserved for state authorities and local self-government bodies for the period of mobilization and in wartime;
- employees of the Department of Internal Affairs and National Guard troops, firefighters, customs officers and employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service;
— civilian personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as active pilots, railway workers, sailors, as well as teachers and those who are engaged in sowing.

For the duration of military training, reservists are released from work or study with the retention of their place and receive an average salary or a scholarship at the place of permanent work or study.

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MOSCOW, January 31-RIA Novosti. Russian prosecutors have returned more than nine thousand illegally mobilized people to be sent to the special operation zone, Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov said during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
"Through the efforts of the supervisory authority, more than nine thousand citizens who were illegally mobilized were returned home," he said on Tuesday. According to the Prosecutor General, among them are people who were not subject to partial mobilization for health reasons.
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MOSCOW, January 31-RIA Novosti. Most of the problems with providing conscripted citizens with bulletproof vests and other uniforms have been resolved, Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Krasnov, the conduct of a special operation in Ukraine, the organization of partial mobilization and the annexation of new territories significantly adjusted the prosecutor's supervision. He particularly noted the control over compliance with the rule of law in the Russian military and the military-industrial complex.
"We continue to deal with issues of providing the mobilized servicemen with bulletproof vests and other uniforms. Most of the problems have already been solved. Now we control the supply of winter uniforms to the mobilized, as well as the formation of appropriate warehouses and their safety," the Prosecutor General said.
In December, Vladimir Putin said that all the difficulties with equipment for the participants of the special operation will be solved, and the Ministry of Harrow should report on this order by February 1, 2023.
In early January, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu instructed to finalize the equipment and tactical equipment of Russian servicemen to the highest level as soon as possible.
In Russia, from September 21, 2022, a partial mobilization was carried out. According to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, it was necessary to control the thousand-kilometer contact line and the liberated territories in Ukraine. By October 28, the call for partial mobilization ended, and the troops, as planned, attracted 300 thousand reservists.
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The mobilized arrived on their first vacations from the zone of the special military operation in Ukraine (SVO). It is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the Russian defense department.

“On their first vacations from the zone of the special military operation, military personnel called up as part of partial mobilization arrived,” the Ministry of Defense said.

According to the agency, a regular 14-day vacation is provided for all participants of the SVO. It is provided once every six months, excluding the time spent on the road.

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The IISS 2023 World Military Balance lists the following totals for the Russian Armed Forces:

Ground Forces - 550,000 + 30,000 LDPR (includes 300,000 mobilized)
Air Forces - 165,000 (includes Air Force, Air Defense & Space Forces)
Strategic Rocket Forces - 50,000
Airborne Forces - 40,000
Special Forces - 1,000
Navy Forces - 145,000 (Fleet 82,000; Aviation & Air Defense 31,000; Naval Infantry & Coastal Troops 32,000)
Railway Troops - 29,000
Command & Support - 180,000

Total 1,190,000 (authorized 1,150,000) Not included here are the 123,000 cadets receiving training at Military Institutes or Civilian Universities

Paramilitary Forces - 559,000

In addition they estimate 10,000 Wagner personnel

NOTE: not sure if they included LDPR reservist called up, Russian volunteers (Chechen's and Cossack's maintain 15,000 total alone) or BARS (Russian Combat ready reserves) units

In comparison for 2022 their totals were 900,000. I have over the years set up my own tracking system and it was at 882,000 last year (plus the 123,000 cadets = 1,005,000 or 8,000 less then the authorized 1,013,000 for last year... cautionary note is I'm still not sure if the cadets are counted against the total authorized or not. Those cadets that go into regular service, their education time counts against their service time and they get paid. Those attending Civilian institutions also get paid and it counts against their national service (military duty) so who knows for sure.

Conscripts will not be sent to serve in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. This was announced on Thursday, March 30, by the head of the State Duma Defense Committee Andrey Kartapolov.

"In the new subjects of the Russian Federation <...> conscription will not be held at all in the spring, and conscripts in all other subjects of the Russian Federation will not be sent to serve in these subjects, "Interfax quoted him as saying.

The head of the Duma committee did not specify how long such a regime would last.

The spring draft campaign of 2023 will be held from April 1 to July 15.

According to Article 54 of the Federal Law "On Military Duty and Military Service", military training camps are held only to check the combat training of reservists or to train them to work with new military equipment. For this reason, participants in military training camps cannot be sent to the war zone.

Also on Thursday, Kartapolov said that the draft law on a phased increase in the draft age will not affect the spring draft of the current year.

On March 13, the State Duma introduced a bill to gradually raise the military age of conscription to 21 years. The authors of the initiative explain that the lower level of military age is raised for " guaranteed citizens to receive secondary general, secondary vocational and higher education." So, according to the text of the document, the draft age in 2024 will be from 19 to 30 years, in 2025-from 20 to 30 years, in 2026-from 21 to 30 years.

Earlier, in November 2022, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that conscripts entering military service as part of the autumn conscription campaigns will not be sent to the special operation zone.

The General Staff then also confirmed that citizens called up for military service will not be sent for its passage to military units in the territory of the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, and will not be involved in the special operation to protect the Donbass.

NOTE: still no official announcement of the number of conscripts to be taken in the Spring Draft which starts tomorrow.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on spring conscription, according to which 147,000 people will be drafted into the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from April 1 to July 15. The corresponding document is published on the official portal of legal information.

“To carry out from April 1 to July 15, 2023, the draft for military service of Russian citizens aged 18 to 27 who are not in the reserve,” the document says .

The task of carrying out the implementation of activities related to the call, according to the decree, is entrusted to the Government of the Russian Federation, the executive authorities of the subjects and the draft commissions.

In addition, by this decree, the head of state instructed to dismiss military servicemen whose term of service has already expired. ■

NOTE: Spring 2022 draft was for 134,500.

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