The draft now extends to dual citizens, Russians with permanent residence status abroad and stateless persons, under Putin’s amendments to military service regulations. Dual nationals were exempt from conscription until now. The changes come two weeks after Putin announced the end of a month-long “partial” mobilization of 300,000 recruits. Many remain wary of a possible second wave of mobilization if Russian forces continue to suffer losses in Ukraine. In late September, Putin also signed a decree making it easier for foreigners to acquire Russian citizenship if they enlist in the military. According to Putin’s latest decree, conscripts with dual citizenship can hold the ranks of soldiers, sailors, sergeants and non-commissioned officers. Dual-national contract soldiers, who could serve alongside Russian nationals before the new rules, now face restrictions based on their criminal and drug records. Those convicted, under investigation or whose convictions have not been annulled cannot sign contracts with the Russian Armed Forces. Conscripts are allowed to sign contracts with the Russian military after three months of service. The number of Russians with a second citizenship or permanent residence in another country reached 543,000 in January 2020, the latest publicly available period.
