Russia's creation of a unified registry of those eligible for military service does not necessarily indicate a second wave of mobilization of conscripts for the war against Ukraine, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its latest report on April 15.
Earlier this week the State Duma, the Russian parliament's lower house, passed a bill establishing the unified registry. This will allow the authorities to serve call-up papers electronically rather than by letter, “removing one obstacle which has previously allowed some to dodge the draft," the U.K. Defense Ministry said.
The ministry reported that, with individuals’ “call-up data” digitally linked to other state-provided online services, it is likely that the authorities will “punish draft-dodgers by automatically limiting employment rights and restricting foreign travel.”
But the measures, which will come into force later this year, “do not specifically indicate any major new wave of enforced mobilization,” the U.K. Defense Ministry said.
According to the ministry, Russia now prioritizes a drive to recruit extra volunteer troops.
“However, the measure is highly likely part of a longer-term approach to provide personnel as Russia anticipates a lengthy conflict in Ukraine,” the ministry added.
The Kremlin has earlier denied launching a second wave of mobilization of conscripts for the war against Ukraine.
However, the Dutch-owned independent Russian media outlet The Moscow Times reported on March 15 that military enlistment offices have begun sending summonses to men in Lipetsk, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk, Penza, and Voronezh oblasts, as well as Krasnodar Krai.
Most of the summonses were allegedly regarding "clarifying data" in office systems, but some men were called to training, including approximately 100 men in Tyumen Oblast.
