Media: Putin signs electronic summonses bill into law

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has signed the bill introducing electronic summonses for conscripts into law, Meduza, a Russian independent media outlet, reported on April 14.

Draftees who fail to respond to the summonses will be required to appear voluntarily at the military enlistment office within two weeks of the next draft.

Those who fail to comply will then face restrictions, including being prohibited from leaving the country. Later on, they may also be restricted from performing various basic societal functions such as buying real estate, registering a business, or taking out a loan.

According to Meduza, the new law permits the creation of a digital database for military records, which will contain men's personal information, including their place of residence, employment status, health records, and other relevant data.

Submitting data to the online register will be mandatory for various state agencies such as the Foreign Ministry, Federal Tax Service, courts, medical and educational institutions.

The Kremlin has denied launching a second wave of mobilization of conscripts for the war against Ukraine.

However, the Dutch-owned independent Russian media outlet The Moscow Times reported on March 15 that military enlistment offices have begun sending summonses to men in Lipetsk, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk, Penza, and Voronezh oblasts, as well as Krasnodar Krai.

Most of the summonses were allegedly in regards to "clarifying data" in office systems, but some men were called to training, including approximately 100 men in Tyumen Oblast.