MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS/. Russian citizens called up for military service this fall won’t be sent to the area of combat operations, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at a conference call with military commanders on Tuesday.

Russia’s army draft campaign this fall proceeds according to plan, the defense chief said.

"Let me stress again that all the conscripts, including those from new regions, won’t be sent to the area of combat operations," Shoigu said.

Over 2,700 conscription commissions have been set up across Russia. A total of 130,000 Russian citizens will be called up for military service this fall and the draft campaign proceeds within the timeframe established by Russian legislation, he said.

Russia’s fall draft campaign kicked off on October 1 and will last until December 31. Last year, the fall call-up for military service began a month later due to the busy work of conscription offices resulting from a partial mobilization.

This year, the call-up campaign is for the first time taking place in new Russian regions - the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions.