Russia plans to stop men avoiding the draft by introducing a new digital conscription system that would ban them from leaving the country.
The new legislation, passed by the Russian Parliament on Tuesday, will allow military officials to summon Russian citizens to draft offices via an online state services portal, which is widely used for taxes and other official documents. It now has to be approved by Russia’s Federation Council as well as president Vladimir Putin.
The country’s spring conscription campaign, when men between the ages of 18 and 27 can be drafted for their 12-month obligatory military service, is currently taking place.
