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Novaya Gazeta Europe
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Russia moves to enable year-round conscription for men under 30 — Novaya Gazeta Europe
Young Russian marine recruits attend a departure ceremony to join the army in front of the Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, 23 May 2023. Photo: EPA/ANATOLY MALTSEV A new piece of legislation has been proposed by the Russian lower house of parliament that, if passed, would expand the country's military conscription period to a year-round basis, Russian state-run news agency TASS reported on Tuesday. All men in Russia aged 18–30 are required to perform a year-long period of military service, with call-ups currently taking place during two periods spanning approximately half the year: from 1 April to 15 July, and from 1 October to 31 December. According to the legislation proposed by the Russian State Duma, those periods would remain the only times when conscripts could be 'sent' to military service, but supplementary conscription processes, such as appearing for medical examinations and psychological evaluation, would be held year-round. Despite Vladimir Putin vowing that inexperienced conscripts would not take part in combat operations, there have been numerous reports of conscripts being sent into combat or coerced into signing contracts with the Russian Defence Ministry. Human rights groups argue the bill would effectively codify what has already become standard practice: authorities routinely summon non-reservists to enlistment offices outside the official draft periods, citing the need to 'clarify personal data' before sending them for medical examinations. The changes are designed to distribute the workload at military recruitment stations more evenly, the bill's sponsor Andrey Kartapolov, chair of the State Duma Defence Committee, told RBC, a state-affiliated business outlet. If passed, the legislation would ensure that draft offices no longer have 'such storming and rushing every six months' and can work more 'calmly' year-round, Kartapolov said. Kartapolov proposed the legislation with the Defence Committee's deputy chairman, Andrey Krasov. Due to the seniority of these two lawmakers, the legislation is very likely to be adopted, according to Faridaily, a Telegram news channel founded by ex-BBC Russian journalist Farida Rustamova. As the State Duma begins its summer recess on Thursday, the bill will not be considered until the autumn. If approved, the law would come into force on 1 January 2026.
The Citizen
17-07-2025
- The Citizen
24 hours in pictures, 17 July 2025
24 hours in pictures, 17 July 2025 Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world. A sprinkler machine cools the air, the ground, and people during a hot day on the Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, 16 July 2025. The temperature reached up to 28 degrees Celsius in Russia's second largest city. Picture: EPA/ANATOLY MALTSEV First-time authors Ethan Jones (11), left, and Nako Masango (10) pose for a photograph with their recently published fictional book 'The Quest for the Ballon d'Or: Global Soccer Giants From Africa', 16 July 2025, in Florida, Roodepoort. As part of the upcoming Nelson Mandela Day celebrations the pair have been invited to speak on Saturday (19 July) at the Life Vision Church in Klipspruit, Soweto, encouraging the youth to read and write their own stories. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen A woman carries a small child along the outer perimeter of the splash fountain at the Christian Science Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 16 July 2025. Temperatures in Boston reached a high of 95F (35C) and a heat index of 100F (37.8C) prompting Boston's Mayor Michelle Wu to declare a heat emergency in the city. Picture: EPA/CJ GUNTHER Bophelong children play with their kites during school holidays in Vanderbijlpark, south of Johannesburg, 17 July 2025. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen Shamiema Jacobs appears at Bellville Magistrate's Court on July 17, 2025 in Bellville, South Africa. Jacobs is charged with the kidnapping of a baby at Middestad Mall, who was only a few days old at the time of the alleged incident and the obstruction of justice. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach) Demonstrators hold flares during a protest rally at a pier in Perama port, where the cargo ship Cosco Shipping Pisces is expected to dock, in Piraeus, Greece, 16 July 2025. Protesters gathered following indications that the vessel is transporting containers with military-use equipment destined for Israel. Picture: EPA/GEORGE VITSARAS Participants of the largest Polish canoeing trip pose for a photo on the Pilica River in Sulejow village, central Poland, 16 July 2025. The Pilica Trail is one of the country's most popular canoe routes on lowland rivers. Picture: EPA/Marian Zubrzycki A man wades through a waterlogged street in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, 17 July 2025. Heavy monsoon rains continue to pound Pakistan, posing risks of flash floods, landslides, and urban flooding across several provinces. Picture: EPA/SOHAIL SHAHZAD A vendor carrying plastic balls on a bicycle, rides along a street in New Delhi on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) German rapper August Jean Diederich also known as Ski Aggu performs on the Main Stage at the 42nd edition of the Gurtenfestival in Bern, Switzerland, 16 July 2025. The open air music festival runs from 16 to 19 July. Picture: EPA/ANTHONY ANEX Migrants wait on a beach to board an inflatable dinghy boat to cross the English Channel, in Gravelines, northern France, 17 July 2025. On July 10, 2025, during President Macron's state visit to the UK, an agreement was reached on cross-Channel migration. France agreed to accept back individuals who crossed the Channel but are not eligible for asylum in the UK. In exchange, the British government promised to accept individuals who can be legally integrated. Since the beginning of 2025, an estimated 21,000 people have reached the British coasts in small boats. Picture: EPA/YOAN VALAT This photo taken on July 2, 2025 shows Chinese farmer Zhang Shengwu piloting his homemade submarine in a river in Hanshan county, in China's eastern Anhui province. A 60-year-old farmer in China has built his own 'Big Black Fish' — a homemade submarine that can accommodate two people, dive eight metres and stay underwater for 30 minutes at a time. Zhang recently launched his five-ton sub into the river near his rural home, state broadcaster CCTV reported on July 17. (Photo by AFP) Engineering teams work as the world's largest land crane 'Big Carl' is used to lift a 245-tonne domed roof onto Hinkley Point C's second reactor building at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station near Bridgwater in southwest England on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) Retired Adelaide Zoo panda Fu Ni is seen during a visit by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (not pictured) in Chengdu, China, 17 July 2025. Albanese is on a six-day official visit to China. Picture: EPA/LUKAS COCH MORE: 24 hours in pictures, 16 July 2025
