Panicked Putin rushes through law allowing Russia to conscript pensioners

Vladimir Putin has ushered in new legislation which will enable him to conscript men over the age of 60 in an apparent bid to shore up his armed forces 18 months after his invasion of Ukraine . The Russian President signed the law, which was adopted by the State Duma on July 18, after all three readings were approved on May 25. The new rules mean Russian men up to the age of 65 will be eligible for military service, as will foreign nationals who wish to serve. In addition, servicemen can now be drafted back into the armed forces until the age of 70 – the same age as Putin himself. The bill’s authors, Russian MPs Andrei Kartapolov and Andrei Krasov, previously argued the increased limit would attract new specialists with “required skills,” specifically medical personnel and engineers. Russian President Vladimir Putin (Image: GETTY) An explanatory note attached to the bill says that “for the use of high-precision weapons, the operation of weapons and military equipment, highly professional specialists are needed. ‘Experience shows that they become such by the age of 40-45.” Anton Barbushin, editorial director of the independent Riddle Russia website, shared details of the new law via Twitter, commenting: ‘A requested clarification: no, it does not mean that all men over 60 will be subjects to mobilisation. ‘But it opens up a pool of people from 60 to 65 years with previous military experience for senior officer positions. Anton Barbushin’s tweet (Image: Twitter) ‘And people from 55 to 60 as junior officers.’ Kremlin sources have in the past claimed Russia lost in excess of 250,000 men of conscript age during the first mobilisation push last year. Speaking last week, Ukrainian army spokesman Colonel Serhi Cherevaty said Russia has already filled battalions with ex-convicts in preparation for an assault on Kupyansk in northern Ukraine . He told The Daily Mail: ‘The enemy has concentrated a very powerful group. “More than 100,000 personnel, more than 900 tanks, more than 550 artillery systems and 370 rocket salvo systems.”