The UK Defense Intelligence: russia’s New System to Stop Potential Recruits Fleeing
The russian Government is developing a system to prevent potential draftees to the russian military from leaving the country. On July 11, 2024, Meduza reported that the russian government is implementing an “information exchange system” between the Ministry of Defense and the Federal Security Service (FSB) to pass details of potential conscripts to the FSB Border Guard Service and prevent them fleeing the country. Reportedly the system is to be fully functional before the Autumn 2024 draft. Russia carries out two conscription drafts each year, drafting in over 250,000 personnel annually to serve one year of compulsory military service, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
Hundreds of thousands of russians left the country after the announcement of a partial mobilization in 2022 and these were disproportionately concentrated among the young and highly educated, causing knock on effects to the labour market. The implementation of this system is likely intended to prevent a smaller scale repeat of this during the annual draft cycle, and in the event of a further wave of mobilization.