Russian State Duma passes law to prevent avoidance of military service

The Russian State Duma passed on Tuesday a bill on preventing the avoidance of reporting to military service.

According to the new legislation, notifications about the necessity to report to the military service will be sent not only in print form but also on the government's portal if a person has an account there.

Earlier Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked at a press briefing about suspicions that sending electronic notifications is a way to hide a new wave of military mobilization.

Peskov said it has nothing to do with military mobilization and was drafted to update the existing recruitment system.

"This is not related to mobilization, it is related to military recruitment. It needs to be understood, it needs to be explained. Military registration is something that the citizens of our country, according to the constitution, face constantly, at least once throughout their lives. And this system must keep up with the demands of the time," he said.

The draft bill suggests sending a notification about the necessity to report to the military service through digital means, including emails and government portals.