Partial mobilization has been announced in Russia since September 21. It is not yet clear whether the borders will be closed for all those liable for military service. The Russian law on mobilization states that citizens registered with the military "from the moment the mobilization is announced, it is forbidden to leave their place of residence without the permission of the military commissariats, federal executive bodies that have a reserve."
As Valentina Melnikova, executive secretary of the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers, explained to The Insider, if a person wants to find out if he is on military registration, he must find one of three military registration documents in his papers. This is either a certificate of a citizen subject to conscription (in common parlance – a registration certificate). Or a military ID (if a person is exempt from conscription for health reasons or if he has completed military service and is enrolled in the reserve). Or an officer's certificate (there may be different officers: those who graduated from military departments and did not serve, or who served and retired). Melnikova also confirmed that all those to whom such documents were issued are on military records and cannot leave Russia after the announcement of mobilization. According to Melnikova, if someone from this category of citizens wants to leave the country, he needs to go to the military enlistment office and get permission there.
Here are the categories of citizens subject to military registration:
- all men aged 18 to 27 who are required to be on the military register and not in the reserve (that is, conscripts);
- citizens who are in reserve (conscripts), namely:
- men in reserve;
- dismissed from military service with enrollment in the reserve of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation;
- who have completed training programs for officers, sergeants and reserve soldiers at military departments at state, municipal or state-accredited non-state educational institutions of higher professional education in the relevant areas of training (specialties) and graduated from these educational institutions;
- those who have not completed military service due to exemption from conscription for military service;
- those who have not completed military service in connection with the provision of deferrals from conscription for military service or who have not been called up for military service for any other reason, upon reaching the age of 27 years;
- dismissed from military service without enlistment registration and subsequently put on military registration in military commissariats;
- completed alternative civilian service;
- women with military specialties.
Not subject to military registration:
- exempted from military duty in accordance with the Federal Law "On military duty and military service";
- performing military service or alternative civilian service;
- serving a sentence of imprisonment;
- women who do not have a military specialty;
- permanently residing outside the Russian Federation;
- having military ranks of officers and being in the reserve of the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.