New Russian laws punish military deserters with 10 years of prison
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The laws subject deserters to 10 years of prison while simplifying the Russian citizenship procedure for foreign military contractors.
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Russian Federation council approves new laws on military service and contracts
A few hours after Russian president Vladimir Putin announced nationwide partial mobilization, the Russian Federation Council, the upper chamber of the parliament, passed a law that subjects personnel deserting military service on conscription or failing to appear to 10 years of imprisonment.
In addition to the desertion law, the Council also approved a law that states that foreigners who have previously signed a military service contract of at least one year are able to apply for Russian citizenship without having to provide a residence permit nor are obliged to stay in Russia for 5 continuous years as per current law.
The new law stipulates that new military contracts with foreigners have a minimum term of 5 years, while previously foreigners could sign their first military contract for only 1 year.
Russian Defense Minister: 300,000 reservists will be called to serve
In the series of procedures following the announcement of the referendums in the regions of Lugansk, Kherson, Zaporozhye, and Donetsk to join the Russian Federation, and the partial mobilization that came after, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Wednesday that 300,000 reservists will be called to serve in the Ukrainian war.
Shoigu specified that the called-upon reservists will be limited to citizens that have previously served in the military, stressing that no university students nor conscripts will be included in the mobilization.
According to the Defense Minister, the mobilization will serve to "control" and "reinforce territories" at the contact line between Russian and Ukrainian forces, which is more than 1,000 km long.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
