Russia’s Putin Signs Decree on Spring Military Conscription

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 29 March 2024. (EPA/Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool)
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 29 March 2024. (EPA/Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool)
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Russia’s Putin Signs Decree on Spring Military Conscription

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 29 March 2024. (EPA/Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool)
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 29 March 2024. (EPA/Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out the routine spring conscription campaign, calling up 150,000 citizens for statutory military service, a document posted on the Kremlin's website showed on Sunday.

All men in Russia are required to do a year-long military service, or equivalent training during higher education, from the age of 18.

In July Russia's lower house of parliament voted to raise the maximum age at which men can be conscripted to 30 from 27. The new legislation came into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Compulsory military service has long been a sensitive issue in Russia, where many men go to great lengths to avoid being handed conscription papers during the twice-yearly call-up periods.

Conscripts cannot legally be deployed to fight outside Russia and were exempted from a limited mobilization in 2022 that gathered at least 300,000 men with previous military training to fight in Ukraine - although some conscripts were sent to the front in error.

In September Putin signed an order calling up 130,000 people for the autumn campaign and last spring Russia planned to conscript 147,000.



Helicopter of Iran’s Late President Raisi Crashed Due to Weather, Final Report Says

Rescue team works following a crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, May 20, 2024. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Rescue team works following a crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, May 20, 2024. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
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Helicopter of Iran’s Late President Raisi Crashed Due to Weather, Final Report Says

Rescue team works following a crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, May 20, 2024. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Rescue team works following a crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, May 20, 2024. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

The helicopter crash in which Iran's late President Ebrahim Raisi was killed was primarily caused by weather conditions that included thick fog, Iran's state TV said on Sunday, citing the final investigation report on the incident.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner who was seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, died when his helicopter crashed in May in a mountainous region near the Azerbaijan border.

"The main reason of the helicopter crash was complicated weather conditions in the region," the final report concluded, according to Iran's state TV.

A thick mass of fog caused the helicopter that was carrying Raisi and his companions to crash into the mountain, the report issued by a high committee charged by Iran's military with investigating the incident said.

A preliminary report by Iran's military had said in May that no evidence of foul play or an attack had been found during the investigation.