Shoigu: women are not subject to conscription for partial mobilization

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claims that women will not be called up as part of partial mobilization. According to him, “this was not in the plans for the future.” The minister clarified that students of commercial universities with state accreditation are also not subject to conscription.

Mr. Shoigu, together with the mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, and the governor of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, checked the progress of preparation and conditions for the placement of the mobilized. The head of the Ministry of Defense, in particular, inspected the places of accommodation called up from the reserve and volunteers, equipped on the basis of the Patriot and Avangard centers in Kubinka near Moscow.

When asked whether women will be called up as part of the partial mobilization, Sergei Shoigu will answer in the negative: “No. This was not in the plans for the future. We are not going to call on women” (TASS quote).

The Minister recalled that students of state universities also do not participate in the mobilization. “Students of commercial universities accredited by the state are not involved in mobilization either … On behalf of the president, today we are completing the preparation of amendments to the decree, and this will be introduced today,” Mr. Shoigu specified.

The Minister of Defense added that shift the beginning of the autumn conscription on November 1 will not affect the timing of the dismissal of retired military personnel. According to him, from today, October 1, those who served will begin to return home. He confirmed Kremlin’s version that the postponement of conscripts’ conscription is associated with “a rather high workload of military registration and enlistment offices.”

Partial mobilization held from September 21st. It was reported that women also receive subpoenas. In particular, in the Sverdlovsk region it is erroneous mobilized a midwife, a former nurse, and a female pediatrician. One of the girls said that they were forced to sign a contract, and only then undergo a medical examination. After publicizing the situation on the Internet, they were all released. Kremlin called false information about plans to mobilize 1.2 million Russians instead of the 300 thousand declared by the Ministry of Defense.

On the reaction of Russians to the situation in the country – in the material “Kommersant” “Worrying but possible”.

Laura Keffer