Russia's Ministry of Defense has proposed changes to military medical examination rules that would simplify the conscription of individuals with psychosis, hypertension, and syphilis.
The amendments would also make it harder for soldiers to be discharged for health reasons during mobilization, according to a report by a Russian independent non-profit organization (Movement of Conscientious Objectors to military service in Russia).
Currently, individuals diagnosed with primary, secondary, or latent syphilis are exempt from conscription under category "B," meaning they are considered limitedly fit and not subject to the draft in peacetime.
However, under the proposed amendments, they would instead be classified as fit for service with minor restrictions. Similar changes would apply to conscripts suffering from moderate, short-term endogenous psychoses and severe neurotic psychoses related to stress or mood disorders. These individuals, who were previously assigned category "D" (unfit for service), would now be deemed eligible with some restrictions.
Additionally, the amendments remove an important provision that allowed for consideration of pre-existing illnesses that worsened after enlistment when determining a soldier’s fitness. Under the new rules, such cases would no longer be formally recognized as a basis for discharge, further tightening restrictions on medical exemptions.
According to an explanatory note, the Ministry of Defense developed these amendments to "improve the system of medical examination of servicemen" by incorporating lessons from the ongoing war against Ukraine.
Kateryna Hodunova
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