IN Lately Many unconfirmed rumors have spread about the complete transition of the Russian armed forces to a contract basis. Will the mandatory universal conscription into the army in Russia be abolished in 2019 - read below.
Briefly about what we have now
Content
Today, compulsory conscription applies to men aged 18 to 27 years. Those who will not have a statutory deferment or health contraindications will be called up. The period of service in 2019 will be 12 months. There are two conscription campaigns a year:
- Spring – from April 1 to July 15;
- Autumn – from October 1 to December 31.
Every year about 300 thousand recruits undergo military service.
Let's start with the most important thing
The current President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin in 2017 in the Kremlin, at an official meeting with the winners of the Wordskills competition, promised that the refusal of military service in Russia is a matter of time, and this should happen in the foreseeable future. The President still remained silent about the complete “recipe for transition” in the context of implementing budget policy.
Having touched upon such interesting topic, How alternative service, V.V. Putin said that the state will further develop this version of the service. Not long ago, two scientific companies were organized - in Voronezh and the Moscow region, and the systematic creation of a Technopark is underway.
Interesting! A scientific company is a specially created army unit where young people with higher education have the opportunity to continue their scientific activity under the supervision of scientific supervisors.
Contract service
The number of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation annually amounts to about 800 thousand military personnel, half of whom are contract soldiers. Selection for contract service is stricter than in the case of compulsory conscription. Thus, not any young man who expresses a desire can become a contract soldier (girls are also allowed), but only one who has served at least 3 months as a conscript or has previously been on a contract. Only those who, as a result of a medical examination, have been assigned fitness categories A or B, as well as with the required level of physical fitness, are allowed to perform such service.
Contract service, naturally, is voluntary, lasts from 3 to 5 years, has its own conditions and provides military personnel with many advantages and benefits:
- The average salary of an ordinary contract soldier is 30,000 rubles;
- The average salary of a sergeant is 40,000 rubles;
- The average salary of a lieutenant is 55,000 rubles.
In addition, contract workers are provided with compensation for rental housing (if a service apartment was not allocated), allowances for all family members when moving to a new duty station, free medical care, free travel on transport, health insurance, as well as retirement at 45 years and a solid pension provision.
Agree, this is a very good employment option in modern realities of life, especially for residents of villages where finding a decent job has always been a problem.
Two negatives make an affirmative
Speaking about contract service in the army, we should not forget about its disadvantages:
- Still, this work carries an increased risk to the soldier’s life;
- The established order and subordination will not please everyone;
- Some military personnel cannot withstand such conditions and break the contract. According to the latest statistics, such people give up, about 20%.
There is more than one example! Many European countries and non-CIS countries have long switched to a professional contract army. Let's give some examples.
France
French legionnaires are famous all over the world. They even make movies about them. Service life in French army is 3-5 years. The salary ranges from 1,500 to 3,000 euros; during foreign business trips, the salary increases at least twice. Legal leave every year is 60 days without days off, of which the serviceman chooses 45 days himself.
While serving, a contract soldier has the opportunity to undergo free education more than 50 civilian professions - IT technology specialist, translator, signalman, etc. Perhaps that is why the French army is a major employer in the country, hiring from 10 to 20 thousand people annually.
USA
The American army, which today ranks first in the world in terms of combat power and number of weapons, switched to a contract basis in the distant 1970s, after military operation in Vietnam. 250 thousand dollars - this is the amount of initial insurance for a serviceman who has entered into a contract.
There are countless benefits for a contract soldier; the requirements are not exorbitant. In 2017, 10% of new military personnel had a criminal record.
Hungary
Since 2005 in this small European country are invited, not required, to serve in the army. The conditions of service in the Hungarian army are also quite attractive. The salary of a private with all allowances will be about 1000 euros, a lieutenant - more than 2200 euros.
When sent to foreign missions, among the closest ones is the security of the Kabul airport, the salary, as a rule, doubles. In the event of a sudden death, the state undertakes to help the family of the deceased over the next years.
Australia
This distant country has long switched to a contract army. The service life ranges from 3 to 6 years with subsequent extensions of 3 years. According to research data, one in five Australian army soldiers is a woman.
Among benefits we can highlight free medical care, assistance from the state when purchasing housing, subsidies for public utilities, the opportunity to travel around the country. Well, the minimum salary for an ordinary contract soldier is $2,500.
Arguments for abolishing universal conscription
Cancel urgent conscription into the army in Russia is becoming a topic of heated debate among both military and civilian experts. Political parties And public organizations present their arguments in favor of cancellation. By and large, logic and common sense are present in all their arguments.
If universal compulsory conscription is abolished, young people will go to work and, accordingly, will pay taxes. Thanks to the new taxes, it will be possible to strengthen the material and technical base of the Armed Forces, increase payrolls for contract soldiers and officers, and develop new types of weapons.
Indeed! Every year about 400 thousand young people are drafted. But they could be employed in the economy and bring considerable benefit to their country. back side Such a call is that, not wanting to serve, young people are desperately trying to get a deferment from the army on legal grounds. In particular, they enter higher education educational establishments, but they do this solely for the purpose of removal from service, and not for the purpose of obtaining an education. There are enough such examples.
Physically and psychologically prepared people will serve. Today, the physical training standards for conscript soldiers sometimes do not stand up to criticism; for most, the army is a stress that few manage to survive.
Gray schemes for evading the army by any means are flourishing in the current conditions. Corruption and bribery schemes can be found at every stage of recruitment events.
Children grow up without fathers, families are destroyed, and new ones are not created. Experience shows that not all relationships can withstand long-term separation.
Hazing among military personnel will be reduced to a minimum. Such a concept as “hazing” will disappear forever.
Conscripts, for the most part, perform the functions of service personnel for officers or contract soldiers.
Sometimes it happens! Employees of the military registration and enlistment office strive by hook or by crook to fulfill the established numbers for the recruitment of recruits. It often happens that sick people enter the army and spend more than half of their 12 months of service in hospitals for inpatient treatment. Each such patient costs the state 100 thousand rubles a month.
And this is already an argument! Today, over 100 countries have switched to a contract army. Among them are Albania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ethiopia. Essentially, these are not countries with outstanding economies. This suggests that compulsory service should not be justified by the poor state of the economy in the country.
If everyone were in favor, that would be a different matter.
Not all public figures advocate the abolition of universal conscription. Many consider the army to be a school of life, in which a young, fragile mind will learn important lessons that will help him in his future life. Where else, they argue, will a young man learn to quickly establish contacts with strangers, follow clear instructions from his superiors under conditions of the strictest discipline, correctly set priorities, and treat his body carefully?
How can I explain to such smart guys that all these questions were asked by the military leadership of all those countries that switched to a contract basis for filling the army. They did not find any contradictions, but they created conditions (you read about them above), thanks to which no one is afraid of serving in the army, but rather, on the contrary, wants and strives to get there.
Conclusion
Thus, the situation in the world is such that many the developed countries long ago, or not so long ago, they switched to a professional army consisting of contract soldiers. Russia has yet to abolish conscription. No one knows how many years it will take to travel this path.
Well, for now main goal the near future is to achieve a ratio of 90% to 10%, where the last figure will be conscript soldiers.
Where in the Russian army today do only contract soldiers serve?
The submarines of the Russian Navy today are fully staffed by contract servicemen. Soon it is planned to completely switch over all surface and coastal forces to contract soldiers.
Spring is a reason for excitement for many young people. However, this is not at all connected with the onset of heat and sunny days, but with the fact that just in spring time recruitment into the army is underway.
The modern military service system is the result of many changes. They affected both the timing and the army composition itself. As for 2017, according to preliminary data, conscripts will make up approximately 2/3 of the people who will serve under a contract. Conscripts must serve for exactly one year, while contract service requires two years of service.
Should I wait for cancellation?
The question that worries many concerns whether they will cancel military service next year 2018? Young men whose age is just right for conscription are especially interested in this.
There is indeed information that from 2018 it will be possible to serve exclusively under a contract. Rumors about such an innovation have been circulating for a long time. However, how true are they?
At the same time, if we consider this question on the part of the people responsible for the security of the country, then this option will be extremely beneficial for them. The whole point is that people who go to serve voluntarily and receive material rewards for it are more interested than those who are forced into the army.
In addition, every educated person should understand that mastering military basics in one year is unrealistic. This requires much more time. However, who would want to spend their youth acquiring military knowledge?
Reforms
Future reforms are aimed at maintaining the Russian army. Thus, the changes will affect rearmament and equipping conscripts with more modern equipment.
It is believed that more effective weapons will make it possible to better prepare for the defense of the homeland. At the same time, it is worth saying that rearmament will not be completed overnight; on the contrary, it will occur gradually and will require a certain amount of time.
Another innovation will concern raising service standards. It is believed that the new level will make the army more prepared, and its work more coordinated and efficient. The authorities will spare no expense especially for this purpose.
About the military department
A visit to the military department is a good option to avoid military service. For such university students, conscription issues are, as a rule, uninteresting. However, in this case, the student will have a hard time: in addition to his main studies, he will need to attend additional classes, where he will be introduced to the intricacies of military affairs.
The result of visiting the military department - officer rank. As for the duration of such training, it is approximately 450 hours.
What options were considered?
Along with information about the abolition of military service, there is another point of view. It concerns the fact that the period of military service can be increased to 1.8 years. That is, eight more months can be added to the existing twelve months. Is it so?
It is impossible to give an exact answer to this question, since not a single person can look into the future and say what awaits him, even tomorrow. One thing is clear: no such changes have been made so far.
In addition, the increase in service life has no basis. Accordingly, no changes can be expected in the next year or two.
About service reduction
Along with information about the abolition of army service and increasing it by eight months, there is another option - reducing the stay in the army to 45 days, that is, up to one and a half months.
Such information exists, but where it came from is very difficult to determine. Most likely it came to light from some unreliable sources that should be treated with distrust.
What does the president say?
The word of the President - the Supreme Commander-in-Chief - is one of the most significant. Many future conscripts of 2017 were waiting with great excitement to see what V.V. himself would tell them. Putin.
As it turned out, the president’s plans do not include either increasing the service life, or, especially, reducing it. This statement was made by V.V. Putin officially.
Therefore, there is nothing more to add to his assurance. In the near future, future soldiers can rest easy. The period of military service will be, as before, 1 year.
And to make the twelve months of war easier, you should start preparing for them in advance, increasing your level of physical fitness, patience and endurance.
The same applies to those who plan to serve under a contract. Perhaps this decision will play a role and in the future the soldier will want to connect his entire life with a military career.
“On measures for a phased transition to staffing the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with military personnel on a voluntary basis - under a contract.” The document obliged the Ministry of Defense from 1993 to begin organizational work on a phased transition to military service on the basis of a contract. At the first stage, the ministry was supposed to engage in attracting citizens to contract service in regions with “excess labor resources,” as well as recruit soldiers, sailors, sergeants and foremen who had already served in the army under conscription for contract service. 6 billion rubles were allocated for the initial stage of the reform. On January 31, 2012, the document became invalid.
On May 16, 1996, Presidential Decree No. 723 was also signed, which allowed conscripts to be sent to an armed conflict zone only on a voluntary basis and after concluding a contract with them. However, this decree was changed two years later - now the document stated that soldiers, sailors, foremen and conscripted officers could be sent to “hot spots” on a voluntary basis, but without concluding a contract. In October 1999, the decree completely lost force.
In addition, in September 1999 it was determined that conscripts could be sent to a combat zone after six months of military training. On February 11, 2013, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that reduced the period of such preparation to four months.
At the end of December 2016, a law on short-term contracts was adopted, which allows conscripts who signed the corresponding document to be sent abroad “to participate in activities to maintain or restore international peace and security or suppress international terrorist activities.”
“At the same time, the implementation of the government initiative will not require additional financial costs,” noted Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
May 16, 1996 President Boris Yeltsin issued Decree No. 722 “On the transition to filling positions of privates and sergeants in the Armed Forces and other troops of the Russian Federation on a professional basis.” The decree in its original version determined that from the spring of 2000, the Armed Forces must completely switch to “staffing positions of privates and sergeants on the basis of the voluntary admission of citizens to military service under a contract with the abolition of conscription.” The development of the procedure for entering contract service was to be completed by 2000. In July 1996, Yeltsin was re-elected as president.
In two years the decree was amended - now the document provided for a transition to contract service “as the necessary conditions are created.” Soon, the State Duma adopted the federal law “On Military Duty and Military Service,” in which “conscription military service” was recorded as an obligation, and the fulfillment of the “constitutional duty to defend the Fatherland through voluntary enlistment in military service” as a citizen’s right.
In November 2001 Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov presented a report to President Vladimir Putin on the gradual transition of the Armed Forces from conscription to the contract principle of recruitment. The report stated that Russia needed a gradual transition to a fully professional army; the number of contract soldiers in the Armed Forces should grow annually; the pace of reform will depend on the economic capabilities of the country, the prime minister specified. Newly appointed Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov estimates that the transition to a fully professional army would take at least 10 years.
In August 2002 At a meeting with sailors of the Pacific Fleet, Putin called the transition to contract service “task number one.” At the same time, he did not talk about the abolition of conscription as the ultimate goal of military reform. “In general, in continental countries, rarely does anyone switch to 100% contract service. But at the same time, contract service can be and, apparently, will be in the future, as it were, the main component,” Putin reasoned. - Initially it seemed that it was enough to simply increase salary, and that's it. No. Some of our politicians say: let us transfer everything to a contract basis within a year. You can transfer it to a contract basis within a year, but this will discredit the idea itself.”
In 2003 the government approved the federal target program “Transition to manning a number of formations and military units with contract military personnel,” according to which almost half of the units were to be transferred to the category of permanent combat readiness units; From now on, only contract soldiers could serve in them. The same program provided that from 2008, conscription service would be reduced to 12 months. According to a member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, director of the human rights group “Citizen. Army. Right” by Sergei Krivenko, the military department failed to implement the program - “soldiers were forced to sign a contract,” and conscripts continued to serve “in real military units,” although the Federal Target Program assumed that they would only master military specialties.
In 2004 Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov announced that conscription into the army would not be cancelled; Only units with constant combat readiness will switch completely to the contract. “In Russia, no one has set or intends to set the task of completely transitioning to a contract system for recruiting the army and navy,” Ivanov said, explaining that “the state does not have such capabilities, and this must be directly recognized.”
In 2006 Vladimir Putin at a meeting management team The Armed Forces promised that by 2008, 70% of military personnel would be contract soldiers.
In November 2011 President Dmitry Medvedev has promised to reduce the number of conscripts to a minimum over the next five to seven years. According to Medvedev’s plans, by 2018 the share of contract soldiers in the army was supposed to be 80-90%. Those who consider it “extremely important and necessary for themselves” could serve under conscription, the president admitted. “We made, in essence, a political decision to calmly move towards a professional army,” the head of state said then. He emphasized: reform will require significant costs; To make contract service attractive, military personnel need to raise salaries.
In January 2012 Prime Minister Putin said that the requirement for a complete transition to contract service is related to the task of training military specialists, since “a year of service, of course, is not enough to master modern technology.” “We, of course, will retain a significant part of the conscript army for now, but gradually, especially for high-tech branches of the armed forces such as aviation, air defense, and the navy, we need to gradually switch to a contract basis,” he concluded.
A month later V " Rossiyskaya newspaper“Putin’s “Be Strong” was published, dedicated to the development of the military-industrial complex. The author wrote that by 2020 the number of conscripts should be reduced to 145 thousand people, with a total number of armed forces of one million people. However, the presidential candidate made a reservation: “Of course, the Army should become professional, and its core should be contract soldiers. However, we cannot abolish the concept of honorable military duty for men, and they must be ready to defend the Motherland in a moment of danger.”
In November 2013 Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in an interview with the Rossiya 1 TV channel that Russian army cannot completely switch to contract service. “We have a very large country. In order to have an exclusively professional army, we have very large territory. In case of a threat, we must be able to mobilize,” the minister explained. - And in order to mobilize, we must have a mobilization resource. For this there is a solution to create four reserve armies, and by 2020 we will move away from combat use in military operations of conscripts."
A year and a half later, in the spring of 2015 Shoigu said he still hopes that in the future the Russian army will be completely contract-based. However, no specific dates possible refusal the official did not name the call. The minister noted that the number of contract soldiers in 2015 for the first time exceeded the number of conscripts: 300 thousand people versus 276 thousand, respectively.
Russia may soon expect a complete abolition of conscription in the army. This is evidenced by the abundance of various reports and rumors in in social networks on this score. In support of the theory about the abolition of military service in favor of contract service, Internet users cite the words of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin from an interview at the end of 2017. Then Putin said that in a general sense, the trend in the development of the armed forces of the Russian Federation tends to completely abolish conscription for military service.
Vladimir Putin, in his forecast on this matter, said the phrase “after a certain time,” but in September 2018, more specific figures began to be circulated. For example, persons indirectly associated with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation claim that the abolition of conscript service in Russia should be expected within the next 5 years, which will last deadline presidency of Vladimir Putin.
There are several serious reasons for the abolition of the concept of “conscript service” and conscription obligations for young male citizens over 18 years of age, rooted in jurisprudence on the issue of human rights. So, by many progressive modern democratic standards, forcing a person to go to military training under the threat of criminal liability, depriving him of freedom of movement and not focusing on his personal beliefs is in fact a gross violation of many points of the International Convention on Human Rights. Russia, despite its difficult geopolitical position, tries to comply with all the rules of a democratic society.
In addition to the fact that conscript service is morally outdated and violates many people’s rights and freedoms, the reason for its abolition may also be an economic issue. Namely, the issue of paying off the maintenance of soldiers who are conscripted by force. More often than not, these soldiers receive much poorer training than their contract counterparts. Contract soldiers are ready to work very hard for the good of their homeland, receiving a decent salary for their military service. Considering such an obvious benefit for the country, it is not at all surprising that even Vladimir Putin, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the entire army, is thinking about its further transformation into a voluntary one and for money.
When will conscription service in Russia be finally abolished?
So far, all existing and circulating on the Internet terms of the complete abolition of compulsory conscription service in Russia are unconfirmed by the main body responsible for conscription itself in Russia - the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Nevertheless, all the leaks that are in the hands of the Internet public, as well as in some analytical articles, in total repeat approximately the same period of time in which the abolition of conscript service in Russia should take place. These terms are either vague “several years” or more specific the next 5 years, coinciding with the fourth term of Vladimir Putin’s presidency.
Vladimir Putin’s interview with one of the news publications in 2017 touched upon the situation with conscript service rather indirectly. However, that same interview had the status of a real resonance, giving rise to reasons for reflection for a whole year ahead. The president of the Toga country said a phrase that does not literally speak about the projects of the future that are on paper on the lists. Vladimir Putin argued to journalists that after some time the conscript army in Russia will definitely retreat, giving way to young and ambitious contract soldiers.