Russia’s autumn conscription cycle starts on October 1, 2024. All eligible russian men under the age of 30 are required to serve one year of military service. To date conscripts have not been sent to fight in Ukraine. Since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, russian leaders have stated that conscripts will not be sent to the frontline, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
However, conscripts were deployed in the military operation in Kursk in August 2024. In response, some parents have voiced concerns that their sons have been sent to fight after serving less than four months. Legally, conscripts can serve in a combat zone if they have served four months and have been trained in a relevant specialization.
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The reaction of families of conscripts to their deployment in the defense of mainland russia likely reinforces for russian leaders the sensitivity of deploying conscripts to Ukraine itself. However, russia will likely continue to force conscripts to sign contracts following their completion of service to ensure a steady supply of personnel for the war amid high attrition rates.
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