MOSCOW, July 25. /TASS/. The Russian State Duma passed a bill increasing the maximum conscription age to 30 years, while keeping the minimum age at 18.

The bill was introduced by a group of lawmakers, led by Chairman of the Duma Committee on Defense Andrey Kartapolov, in March. The bill stipulates that the minimum conscription age remains at 18 years, while the maximum age is being increased from 27 to 30 starting on January 1, 2024. There will be no gradual increase of the maximum conscription age.

The document also stipulates that those citizens conscripted for military service will be able to sign a voluntary one-year contract. Such contracts will be available during mobilization, amid martial law and in wartime, as well as during armed conflicts, during counter-terrorist operations and any time Russia’s Armed Forces are deployed abroad. Reservists will also be able to sign such contracts for one year or less.

According to the document, conscripts signing up for voluntary service during emergencies or when Russia’s Armed Forces are sent abroad, will also be able to sign a contract for one year or less, but no earlier than one month before the expiration of their conscription term.

Specialized enterprises

The bill also provides regional governors with the right to establish specialized enterprises for aiding security agencies in ensuring public order, including combating saboteurs, during mobilization, martial law and during wartime. The governors will be able to utilize this right under authorization from the President of Russia in order to reinforce public order and public security.

These enterprises will be considered legal entities with special statutory goals. They will aid security agencies in upholding public law and ensuring public security, in protection of the Russian state border and in combating foreign special reconnaissance units. Top regional executive bodies will be able to lease small combat arms and ammunition and subsequently hand them over to the specialized enterprises for temporary use.

Employees of such enterprises will be authorized to thwart movement of air, submarine and maritime drones and other unmanned vehicles in order to repel an attack - which includes both physical destruction and jamming of control signals.

The document also provides the Moscow government security agency with the right to assist law enforcement agencies in upholding public order and maintaining public security. Meanwhile, the security agency will be authorized to use small combat arms in accordance with an agreement signed with the Moscow government.