Russia’s digital military draft system will be fully implemented at the start of next year, while the upcoming fall conscription drive will still rely on paper summonses, a senior lawmaker said Monday.
Andrei Kartapolov, chair of the State Duma’s defense committee, said that the digital draft system — originally expected to launch this fall — will go live on Jan. 1, 2025.
“We still need to fine-tune the database to ensure… it will already be fully operational and can be transferred to the Defense Ministry for use,” Kartapolov told the Interfax news agency.
He also confirmed that the new system, which prevents draftees from leaving the country once called up, would be tested in three Russian regions. Media earlier reported that the draft database website was launched with delays and faced outages last week.
The electronic summonses will be tested in the Ryazan and Sakhalin regions, as well as in Mari El. Kartapolov said there would be no “mixed” system of paper and electronic summonses this fall.
The introduction of the new system is widely seen as an attempt to crack down on draft dodging, as call-up papers currently need to be delivered in person and are therefore easily ignored. Under the digital system, a summons would be considered received once it appears online, with individuals responsible for checking their status.