"Putin Signs Decree for Spring Military Draft Amid Ukraine Offensive Warning"

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree for the routine spring conscription campaign, calling up 150,000 citizens for statutory military service, as all men in Russia are required to serve for a year or undergo equivalent training. The maximum conscription age for men was raised to 30 from 27, and conscripts cannot be deployed to fight outside Russia. Compulsory military service remains a sensitive issue in Russia, with many men seeking to avoid conscription, and this spring's conscription is in line with previous plans.