Russia Lifts Age Limit For Military Service

Senior Russian officials recently proposed a new law that would lift the age limit for military contract soldiers in response to a growing infantry shortage, according to a report in the Guardian on May 20.

Two members of the ruling United Russia Party, which proposed the law, argued that some edge-cutting weapons, operating weapons, and military equipment require highly specialized soldiers to operate them. Experience shows that the age of 40-45 is the stage when professionals converge. And according to current Russian law, Russians aged 18-40 and foreigners aged 18-30 can sign their first military service contract with the army.

According to British military intelligence, Russia initially committed about 80 percent of its major ground combat forces, totalling about 150,000 men, to the war of aggression in February in an effort to achieve a quick victory. However, in the 82 days since then, Russia has lost a third of its ground combat forces. In addition, after a series of major military setbacks, Russian forces faced demoralization and a reluctance to engage in “special military operations.” Russia’s aggression in Ukraine is in a dilemma regarding manpower and supply. The bill to lift the age limit for military service is a sign of the lack of Russian troops to continue its attack on Ukraine.