What will be the term of service in the army in Russia in 2021-2022? So far, the situation has not changed for more than ten years. But future conscripts and their parents are very worried about the likelihood of extending the period of military service. Will the term actually increase what to expect in the future?
Terms of service in the army today and before
How many serve in the army today? Conscripts perform their military duties prescribed by law within twelve months after being drafted. That is, for exactly one year a young man aged 18 to 27 years undergoes training, which can be useful in the event of military conflicts.
But the term was not always a year. This duration was established more than ten years ago: it was reduced by a government decision only from January 1, two thousand and eight. Prior to this period, the soldiers served for two years.
Good to know! The current term of military service is prescribed by law: it is indicated in FZ-53, called "On military duty and military service." This law was adopted by the State Duma back in 1998, but has undergone changes several times.
Let's go a little deeper into the history of the service. Initially, the obligation was of an indefinite nature, that is, it was lifelong. In 1793, the duration was reduced to twenty-five years, and by the 74th year of the eighteenth century - to seven years. After the reform, they served in the ground forces for fifteen years (nine years in the reserve), and in the navy for ten years (in the reserve seven). In 1906, the term was three years. Further, it was reduced to two years and remained so until the Great Patriotic War. After the Second World War, in the ground forces, citizens liable for military service served for three years in aviation and in land units, and in the navy - 4 years.
In the 67th year of the last century, according to the new law, the service life was reduced to one and a half years in the aviation and ground forces and to two years in the water forces. In 1996, in connection with the events in Chechnya, the terms were again increased to two years for aviation and ground forces, equal to the naval ones. Then, at the beginning of the 2000s, a reform began, following which in two thousand and seven, conscripts served for 1.5 years, and since 2008 - only a year. These terms remain to this day.
Why deadlines can increase
Why are there rumors about a possible extension of military service terms? They have arisen more than once over the past decade, since several times the State Duma deputies have come forward with proposals to extend the period of stay of those liable for military service in the army.
The initiators of the changes explain their proposals by the fact that a year is not enough for a full-fledged training of soldiers. During this period, conscripts do not have time to study military affairs. They are just mastering the basics: they practice using simple weapons, mastering minimal combat skills. According to some politicians, this is not enough to form an equipped, strong and highly qualified army.
Not everyone supports the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the military reform he is pursuing: the head of state has repeatedly stressed that he intends to take a course on the formation of a qualified army consisting of well-trained and experienced soldiers. And for this, a bias is made to contract service: in this case, young people make an informed choice, treat their military duties more responsibly and receive material rewards for their efforts. The practice of other states has proven the effectiveness of such measures.
Helpful information! In the foreseeable future, it is planned to achieve a ratio of contractors and conscripts of 80:20, respectively. And in the future, the number of soldiers serving on contact will increase to 90 percent.But such a tactic will not cancel conscript service.
The government, headed by Putin, is confident that a one-year term is sufficient. During this period, it is impossible to achieve high qualifications and get an experienced fighter: it is difficult and expensive. But in a year, young people will be able to show their talents, show themselves and make a deliberate decision to continue serving, but on a contract basis.
Are recruits expected to change
Are there any changes to the 2022 appeal? Despite numerous rumors and proposals of the deputies, so far none of the initiatives has received the approval of the government and has not even received the status of a bill. That is, it is not worth expecting any global innovations and revisions of the current rules in the coming years.
The Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian state Burdinsky officially announced that in the near future the Ministry of Defense absolutely does not plan to change the current terms of service, so they will remain the same in 2022.
The representative of the Russian General Staff also clarified that the country's defense department is currently focused on strictly defined and different from the past principles of manning the Armed Forces, namely, contract service. And since there are more than enough contract soldiers today (their number has doubled in just a few years), conscripts can serve less without prejudice to the army.
Interesting fact! According to the official statistical data presented by Burdinsky, the number of persons evading military duties has been reduced by almost 4 times, which is probably due precisely to the decrease in the terms of military service.
Terms of service in the army in 2021-2022
So what will the terms of service in the army be in 2021-2022? No innovations, as you have already understood, are not planned: the legislation will remain the same, respectively, and the duration of the period of performance of military duty will remain unchanged. Below are the exact timelines for different service options.
Emergency service
The term of compulsory military service in Russia is twelve months, that is, exactly one year. Moreover, it does not matter which troops the ordinary soldier is sent to: to the Marine Fleet, to the ground or to the aviation. The duration of the period is the same for all species. And it will not change in the near future.
Contract service
Service under the contract lasts longer than urgent, as it requires a full course of combat training, mastering complex types of weapons and equipment, as well as obtaining high qualifications.
The timing of military duties for contractors depends on the ranks provided by the state of the troops. It:
- 2 years or three - for sailors, soldiers, foremen and sergeants entering into a contract for the first time (if the person entering the service is a foreign citizen, then for him the period is increased to five years).
- Five years - for officers, warrant officers and warrant officers at the initial conclusion of contracts.
- One, three, five, ten, or unlimited (until retirement age) - for any re-contracting military personnel.
Alternative service
Alternative service eliminates the need for military service, which is impossible for religious, political, moral and ethical, peacekeeping or other principles and beliefs. This opportunity has been provided to young people in Russia since 1993.
From January 1, 2008 to this day, the terms of alternative service are:
- 21 months - for employees alternatively in organizations subordinate to the subject or federal executive bodies;
- 18 months - for citizens serving an alternative type as civilian employees in organizations of the Russian Armed Forces, as well as other military formations and structural units of the Armed Forces.
Countdown deadlines
The term of service in the army begins to count for conscripted, non-ranked and not in the reserve male citizens liable for military service from the moment they are awarded the rank of private, which the young man receives upon arrival at the collection point (not at the time of receipt of the summons, as some believe). For applicants to specialized military educational institutions, the start is the day of enrollment. If a person has a rank, then for him the period begins to be counted immediately after the issuance of the corresponding order on the direction to the place of service.
The end of the period will be the date on which the soldier is officially excluded from the personnel of the unit. But this day cannot come later than the expiration of the period of performing military duties. That is, twelve months are counted from arrival at the collection point (the same date and the same month of the next year).
In what cases the service life will be reduced
In some situations, the service life may be prematurely terminated and terminated legally. These are the following situations:
- the death in the course of armed conflicts of a military closest blood relative of a soldier, that is, his father or brother;
- the need and readiness of the conscript to become a guardian for a minor blood relative - a sister or brother;
- disease of a relative requiring constant care (if a citizen is taking care of him);
- the appearance of a second child;
- the presence of a native disabled child under three years old, which will be cared for by a citizen serving in the army;
- the death of a current or former spouse, as a result of which the child (or children) were left without supervision (if the soldier is ready to engage in education).
Such grounds for shortening the terms of service are provided for by the 51st article of the law on military service. These changes took effect from the beginning of the fall of 2019, but they will most likely be in effect in 2021.
Will the service become exclusively contractual
There is talk of a complete transfer of the entire army to a contract basis. The Minister of Defense recently commented on all questions regarding the possibility of such a reform. He said that a complete transition to contracts in the coming years or even decades is not exactly possible, primarily for financial reasons.
If all those liable for military service will become exclusively contract soldiers, then this will require hundreds of billions of rubles. First, there is no such huge amount of money in the Russian budget. Secondly, the allocated funds are spent on re-equipping troops and equipping them with new equipment.
Now you know all the latest news on service life in 2021-2022. So far, no changes are planned, but there is always a possibility of innovations in case of emergencies, for example, with the threat of military conflicts.
