Russian Armed Forces Personnel

MOSCOW, January 1 – RIA Novosti. For soldiers, sailors, sergeants, foremen, warrant officers and midshipmen, from January 1, the age limit for being in the reserve will be increased by 5 years. Corresponding amendments to the law were signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in July 2023.

Amendments have been made to the law “On Military Duty and Military Service”. For the first category of soldiers, sailors, sergeants, foremen, warrant officers and midshipmen in the reserve, the age limit for being in the reserve is raised from 35 to 40 years. For the second category of the same categories of ranks - from 45 to 50 years. For the third category - from 50 to 55 years. A citizen who is in the reserve and has reached the age limit for being in the reserve is transferred to retirement and removed from the military register.

In addition, from January 1, the age limit for reserve citizens to remain in the mobilization reserve has been increased. For senior officers it will be 70 years, for senior officers - 65 years, for junior officers - 60 years, for those with other ranks - 55 years.

The law provides for a transition period from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2028 for a gradual transfer into retirement. Those who turn 50 years old in 2024 will remain in reserve until 51 years old, and citizens who reach 50 years of age in 2027 will remain in reserve until 54 years old, respectively.

https://ria-ru.translate.goog/20240101/zapas-1919299863.html?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp


MOSCOW, January 1 - RIA Novosti. The upper limit of conscription age in Russia is increasing from 27 to 30 years old from January 1, the corresponding law was signed by the country's President Vladimir Putin on August 4, 2023.
When considered in the State Duma in the first reading, the document provided for the limits of conscription age from 21 to 30 years, as well as a transition period for the lower limit of conscription age until 2026. By the second reading of the amendments, the provisions on increasing the lower limit, as well as the transition period, were excluded.
At the same time, Russians who turned 27 years old before December 31, 2023, will not be called up for military service in the coming year.

Other innovations of the law
According to the new federal law, it will be possible to sign a contract with conscripts for a year during emergencies (liquidation of the consequences of natural disasters, implementation of emergency measures, restoration of constitutional order and other emergency situations), or to participate in activities to maintain or restore international peace and security ).
In this case, the specified contract can be concluded no earlier than one month before the expiration of the citizen’s conscript military service.
The document also establishes that during mobilization, martial law, and wartime, specialized state unitary enterprises (SUE) will be involved in maintaining public order. It is clarified that such enterprises will be created by senior officials of the constituent entities by decision of the President of Russia.

https://ria-ru.translate.goog/20240101/vozrast-1919298473.html?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

My take on the breakdown of the 1,320,000 authorized Ministry of Defense servicemen:

- 248,000 conscripts (277,000 drafted minus the 28-29,000 conscripts that annually serve in the Rosgvardia, FSO (Kremlin Regiment) and EMERCON military element)
- 126,000 cadets in Military Academies, Institutes and Military Training Centers in Civilian Higher Education Institutes
- 640,000 contract servicemen
- 305,000 Commissioned and Warrant Officers (cadre, was authorized at 225,000 back when the Forces were 1,000,000. Basically a third increase ratio)

SVO participants will be assigned the status of combat veteran, regardless of whether they have a contract. Changes to the relevant law must be made before April 1, 2024 by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Another basis for assigning such status will be information about the awards: a copy of the certificate or documents indicating the reasons for the award.

Earlier, on June 22, 2022, the State Duma, with the support of the head of state, adopted a law according to which participants in the special operation in Ukraine received the status of combat veterans. Also, border guards and civilian personnel participating in the SVO, and now also those who have signed up as volunteers, will be considered veterans . In turn, wounded volunteers will be able to apply for the status of a combat disabled person.

What benefits do combat veterans receive?

FULL ARTICLE: https://iz-ru.translate.goog/1416157/mariia-shaipova/veteranov-pravo-kakie-lgoty-poluchat-dobrovolnye-uchastniki-svo?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

More than 53 thousand people were recruited to participate in a special military operation (SVO) in the Armed Forces (AF) of Russia from January 1, 2024. Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev spoke about this on February 19 during a meeting with the leaders of the North Caucasus Federal District in Grozny.

“According to the Ministry of Defense, in the country as a whole, more than 53 thousand people have been recruited for military service since January 1 in the interests of the joint group of troops. Overall the process is going well. Districts and regions are actively working,” he noted.

Medvedev expressed hope that all goals for recruiting military personnel into the joint group of forces this year will be met.

On December 28, the Ministry of Defense for the first time since the beginning of the military military service announced the number of contract employees in the RF Armed Forces. According to the department, at the end of 2023 their number was more than 640 thousand people .

On December 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the “Results of the Year” that the flow of men ready to defend their homeland with weapons in their hands does not dry out. According to him, up to 1.5 thousand people come to collection points every day, so there is no need for a second wave of mobilization .

https://iz-ru.translate.goog/1652671/2024-02-19/s-1-ianvaria-na-sluzhbu-dlia-uchastiia-v-svo-priniali-bolee-53-tys-chelovek?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp


NOTE: recruitment goal for 2024 is to have 745,000 contract servicemen or 105,000 more plus any casualty and retirement replacement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the spring conscription of Russians for military service. The document was published on March 31 on the official Internet portal of legal information.

“From April 1 to July 15, 2024, to carry out conscription for military service of citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 30 years who are not in the reserve and are subject to conscription in accordance with the Federal Law <...> “On Military Duty and Military Service” for military service, in the amount of 150 thousand people,” the decree says.

The head of state also decided to dismiss from military service soldiers, sailors, sergeants and foremen whose conscription period had expired.

The government of Russia, executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and draft commissions have been entrusted with ensuring the implementation of activities related to conscription.

The decree came into force on the date of its publication.

On March 29, the head of the main organizational and mobilization department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (AF) of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Evgeny Burdinsky, announced that citizens who were registered with the military and reached the age of 27 before January 1, 2024, were deregistered and sent to the reserves. The Colonel General also recalled that from January 1, 2024, the upper limit of conscription age has been raised to 30 years , the minimum age will remain at 18 years.

On the same day, Deputy Chief of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Vladimir Tsimlyansky, announced that the service life of the soldiers recruited as part of the upcoming spring campaign would be one year . The dispatch of recruits from assembly points will begin on April 15; they will not be sent to participate in the special operation, as well as to deployment points in the Lugansk and Donetsk people's republics of the LPR and DPR, in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

Last year's spring conscription ended on July 15, 2023 . The Ministry of Defense reported that 147 thousand people were called up and sent for conscription into the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and other military formations. It was also noted that conscripts had the right to choose in which branches of the Armed Forces and branches of the military they would like to serve, taking into account their state of health and the results of psychological selection.

https://iz-ru.translate.goog/1674653/2024-03-31/putin-podpisal-ukaz-o-vesennem-prizyve-v-armiiu?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Some Telegram channles claim that Russia is still adding roughly 30.000 men a month
to her Armed Forces.

Thanks to the work of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, 12 thousand volunteers have already received certificates of combat veterans. The chairman of the fund, Anna Tsivileva , announced this at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin , TASS reports .

She also stated that 6 thousand residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) received certificates of family members of the victims.

Last week, Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Igor Krasnov said that more than 300 thousand participants in a special military operation (SVO) received combat veteran status.

According to him, appeals from families of combatants made it possible to identify gaps in regulatory regulation and organization of work of authorized departments.

On March 26, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that the prosecutor's office decisively respond to complaints regarding red tape in supporting the participants in the special operation.

https://www-gazeta-ru.translate.goog/army/news/2024/04/02/22693279.shtml?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en

More than 100 thousand Russian citizens have entered military service under contract since the beginning of 2024, the Ministry of Defense reported. The defense department noted that in the last week and a half, the number of people wishing to become contract soldiers has increased significantly in Moscow and other cities.

Since the beginning of this year, more than 100 thousand people have already entered military service under contract in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. – the Ministry of Defense emphasized.

According to the department, every day up to 1.7 thousand volunteers come to selection points across the country. In the last ten days alone, almost 16 thousand Russians have signed contracts to participate in the special operation. Most of them cited as the main motive the desire to avenge those killed in the tragedy that occurred on March 22 in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the end of March that by the end of this year the Armed Forces intend to form two combined arms armies and 30 formations, including 14 divisions and 16 brigades.

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev reported at the end of December that in 2023 half a million people entered contract service. Thus, taking into account the “new” and “old” contract soldiers, as well as the Russians mobilized in the fall of 2022, who also signed the contact, it turns out that the Russian Armed Forces now have 800-900 thousand contract soldiers.

https://topcor-ru.translate.goog/46033-vs-rf-na-segodnjashnij-den-raspolagajut-verojatno-800-900-tysjachami-kontraktnikov.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en

Rehearsal for the 9th May. Some well earned R%R

Soldiers with SMO awards, from a single to a chestful. An important part of the best, most battle hardened army in the World.

JohninMK wrote:Rehearsal for the 9th May. Some well earned R%R  

Soldiers with SMO awards, from a single to a chestful. An important part of the best, most battle hardened army in the World.

Is that a new camo pattern?

jon_deluxe wrote:

JohninMK wrote:Rehearsal for the 9th May. Some well earned R%R  

Soldiers with SMO awards, from a single to a chestful. An important part of the best, most battle hardened army in the World.

[]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GM0AgoiWcAAbOfl?format=jpg&name=small[]

Is that a new camo pattern?

It's standard one

Troops in Ukraine have been using a lot of mud colored cammo but those are newer ones

Also Russian grunts are allowed to buy and use whatever equipment they want to so there have been a lot of different patterns in use recently

About 10 thousand migrants who received Russian citizenship were sent to the Northern Military District zone. This was announced by the Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin .

“We began to implement the provisions of the Constitution and our laws that persons who have received citizenship must register with the military and, if necessary, take part in a special military operation,” explained the head of the Sledkom.

FULL ARTICLE: https://svpressa-ru.translate.goog/war21/article/420372/?utm_source=warfiles.ru&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en

What is this nonsense about having to take part in the SVO?

If you're drafted into the military you're a conscript, you can't take part in it. Not unless you sign a contract, or are mobilized some time after leaving service

And why should the rules be different for naturalized Russian citizens compared to naturally-born ones?

Approximately 190 thousand Russians have signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense since the beginning of 2024, about 1 thousand people are selected for service per day. The Russian military department reported this on July 11.

“Since the beginning of the year, about 190 thousand Russians have entered into contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense. The average recruitment rate remains stable and is about 1 thousand people per day,” the ministry said in a statement on its Telegram channel.

FULL ARTICLE: https://iz-ru.translate.goog/1726149/2024-07-11/kontrakty-s-minoborony-s-nachala-goda-zakliuchili-okolo-190-tys-rossiian?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

In accordance with Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 222 dated March 31, 2024, 150 thousand people were called up and sent to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and other military formations in the spring of this year.

The draft commissions began their work on time on April 1, and the dispatch of conscripts from the assembly points of the subjects of the Russian Federation to the troops (forces) began on April 15.

As in previous recruitment campaigns, young people who arrived at the military commissariats of municipalities had the right to choose to serve in various types of the Armed Forces and branches of the Armed Forces, taking into account their state of health and the results of professional psychological selection.

Conscripts were provided with everyday uniforms before being sent to their places of service: black for the Navy, blue for the VKS and Airborne Forces, protective color for other types and branches of the armed forces, dressing cases, as well as bank and personal electronic cards.

To ensure military transportation, 15 flights of aircraft of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, 14 military echelons, 172 flights of civil aviation, passenger trains, as well as motor transport of military units were involved.

Most conscripted servicemen are enrolled in training units and military units, where they will master modern military equipment and receive a military accounting specialty.

Conscripts were not sent to the locations of units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the new regions of the Russian Federation (Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions) or to participate in the tasks of a special military operation there.

Special attention was paid to the recruitment of scientific and scientific production units, as well as sports companies. 575 young people were sent to scientific and scientific production units, and 200 people, members of the Russian national Olympic sports team, were sent to sports companies.

Conscripted military personnel who have served the established terms of military service are dismissed in a timely manner and sent to their places of residence.

A monitoring system was organized at all levels for the recruitment of citizens for military service, as well as the work of "direct telephone lines" of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, organizational and mobilization departments of the headquarters of military districts, which received more than 1 thousand calls.

At the same time, the main work was assigned to the staff of the military commissariats, who completed the state task with high quality and on time.

https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12520535@egNews

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on increasing the staffing levels of the Russian Armed Forces. This was reported by the legal information portal.

The staffing level has been increased to 2,389,130 ​​people. Of this number, 1,500,000 people will have the status of military personnel.

The decree also provides for the allocation of funds to the Russian Ministry of Defense to implement this increase.

Earlier, it was reported that the number of people willing to serve under contract had increased - this happened after the start of the Ukrainian invasion of the Kursk region.

https://tvzvezda-ru.translate.goog/news/20249161443-F2rjw.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_pto=nui

[quote="franco"]

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on increasing the staffing levels of the Russian Armed Forces. This was reported by the legal information portal.

[b]The staffing level has been increased to 2,389,130 ​​people. Of this number, 1,500,000 people will have the status of military personnel.
[/b]
The decree also provides for the allocation of funds to the Russian Ministry of Defense to implement this increase.

Earlier, it was reported that the number of people willing to serve under contract had increased - this happened after the start of the Ukrainian invasion of the Kursk region.

https://tvzvezda-ru.translate.goog/news/20249161443-F2rjw.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_pto=nui
[/quote]

2,389,130 people - 1,500,000 military = 889,130 What do they do?

Civilian personnel. They keep the whole show running.

Actually there are a lot of staff positions in management and testing and training that are not combat positions... if you look at the air force there are pilots and ground crew and airfield defence etc etc.

timochenko wrote:

2,389,130 people - 1,500,000 military = 889,130 What do they do?

The Russian Ministry of Defense is a large organization, actually a state within a state. Here are some numbers that I have collected;

- 552,600 positions are deemed to be civil servants
- 76,000 positions in facility management and services
- additional there are janitorial and food service staff (some contracted out and others work directly for the MoD) ~125,000
- ~100,000 workers employed at Defense Repair Plants
- ~145,000 workers employed in the Logistic Support network of Distribution, Storage and Repair facilities (~300+)
- Administrative Support workers (5,000 at Defense HQ along)
- Health Services in ~400 hospitals, infirmaries and polyclinics and almost 50 Health Sanatoriums and Resorts (~100,000 Medical and support staff)
- Sports and Fitness in 170+ facilities
- Education Instructors and support personnel for 50+ Military Universities, Academies, Institutes and Branches along with 30+ Military Boarding Schools plus Military Training Centers at ~130 Civilian Institutes. In addition 60+ Training Centers and 200+ training ranges. There is also military instruction carried out at ~500 DSOOF facilities.
- Scientific Research Centers and Design Bureaus ~40  
- Military Commissariat Offices (2600+) for conscription and recruitment along with organizing mobilization of Reservists
- Military Construction ~30,000 civilian workers. Figure can vary with projects on the go.

Hopefully this gives you some image of the scope.

EDIT: added Military Construction

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on conscription of Russians for military service in October-December of this year. This is stated in a document published on the official Internet portal of legal information.

“To carry out, from October 1 to December 31, 2024, the conscription of Russian citizens aged 18 to 30 years who are not in the reserve and are subject to conscription for military service, in the amount of 133 thousand people,” the document says.

Military conscription in Russia occurs twice a year at the same time - in the spring from April 1 to July 15 and in the fall from October 1 to December 31. Residents of the Far North are always called up a month later due to climatic conditions. The decree on conscription of Russians for service twice a year is signed by the President of the Russian Federation.

Men who are required to be registered for military service and who are not in the reserves, aged between 18 and 30 years, are subject to conscription.

The General Staff announced that paper summonses will be the basis for conscription for military service this fall . A special feature of the fall conscription will be the possibility for conscripts to appeal decisions of draft boards in a pre-trial manner. A complaint can be filed on the State Services portal.

New recruits called up for service will not be involved in the special military operation. Also, conscripts will not be sent to new regions of the country.

NOTE: the Spring 2024 Conscription was for 150,000 and the Fall 2023 Conscription was for 130,000. A reminder that around 28-30,000 of those drafted each year serve in the National Guard, FSO or EMERCON armed forces.

https://tvzvezda-ru.translate.goog/news/20249301243-2zO78.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_pto=nui

The conscription of citizens for military service is completed in the autumn of 2024

In accordance with Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 822 dated September 30, 2024, 133,000 people were drafted and sent to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and other military formations this fall.

Draft commissions began their work on time on October 1, and the dispatch of conscripts from the assembly points of the subjects of the Russian Federation to the troops (forces) began on October 15.

Conscription of citizens for military service was carried out throughout the territory of the Russian Federation.

As in previous recruitment campaigns, young people who arrived at the military commissariats of municipalities had the right to choose to serve in various types of the Armed Forces and branches of the Armed Forces, taking into account their health status and the results of professional psychological selection.

All citizens sent for military service were provided with the established standards of allowances at the assembly points.

11 flights of aircraft of the Armed Forces, 178 flights of civil aviation, 16 military echelons, passenger trains, as well as motor transport of military units were involved in providing military transportation.

Most of the conscripted military personnel are enrolled in training formations and military units, where they will master modern military equipment and receive a military accounting specialty.

Conscripted military personnel were not sent to the locations of units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the new regions of the Russian Federation - these are the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, or to participate in the tasks of a special military operation there.

Special attention was paid to the recruitment of scientific and scientific production units, as well as sports companies. 578 people were sent to scientific and scientific production units, and 200 members of the Russian Olympic sports team were sent to sports companies.

Conscripted military personnel who have served the established terms of military service are discharged in a timely manner and sent to their places of residence.

During the conscription of citizens for military service, the work of "direct telephone lines" of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the organizational and mobilization departments of the headquarters of military districts was organized, which received more than 1.2 thousand calls.

At the same time, the main work was assigned to the staff of the military commissariats, who completed the state task with high quality and on time.

https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12543936@egNews

The government has changed the terms of one-time payments for signing a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry for service in the combat zone in Ukraine — now payments are not provided for Russian citizens who signed a contract while in prison. The corresponding document was published on the portal of legal acts.

The decree on changing the payment procedure was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin . The innovations will come into force on January 1, 2025.

In 2023, prisoners were given the opportunity to avoid criminal punishment if they agreed to enter into a contract. In March 2024, the State Duma adopted a number of laws allowing for the release of persons suspected, accused or convicted of minor and moderate crimes.

In June 2024, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova said that in Russia, female prisoners have increasingly begun to ask for special operations. She noted that she receives relevant requests, but at that time, not a single woman was sent to the SVO zone. The main reasons are their age and inappropriate articles under which they were convicted.

Previously, the colony near Yekaterinburg was closed due to a lack of prisoners.

https://www-gazeta-ru.translate.goog/army/news/2024/12/31/24753260.shtml?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en

NOTE: re female prisoners seen an article lately about some Dagenstan female prisoners heading off for service so maybe serving but not in the SVO?