The IT guys had two weeks to apply for a deferment from the military

In Russia, applications from IT specialists for deferment from military service have begun. In order to avoid the autumn conscription, employees of accredited companies must submit an application by August 8, the Ministry of Digital Development informed.

This can be done through “Gosuslugi”. The employer will see the application in his personal account on the portal. If an employee does not have an account or does not provide their details, the organization can add them to the list.

The ministry noted that the company must check, confirm and submit the lists of deferrals to the Ministry of Digital Transformation via State Services by August 11. Then the ministry will transfer the data to the Ministry of Defence. From October 1 to December 31, the draft board will decide on the postponement.

Employees of IT companies applying for temporary release from service must have Russian citizenship and be between the ages of 18 and 27. Another obligatory criterion is higher education in a specialty from the list of the Ministry of Digital Development.

To receive a deferral, the specialist must have worked under an employment contract with an accredited IT company for at least 11 months during the year preceding the start date of recruitment. The company itself must be accredited by August 11, 2023.

Tthere is no seniority requirement if the employee got a job within a year of graduation. In all cases, a specialist must have normal working hours.

Earlier, the authorities decided to refuse to raise the minimum age of conscription to 21 and leave the threshold at 18. The amendments, which will increase the number of Russians subject to conscription by 2 million people, were introduced in the law adopted in the first reading in March.

If approved, the changes will come into force in 2024. If according to the old rules, 6.8 million people were subject to conscription, then according to the new rules, 9.14 million. The head of the Duma Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, explained the rejection of the original idea with numerous appeals from 18-year-old Russians who wanted to serve, who allegedly received deputies.

In addition, the State Duma has prepared a package of amendments concerning a radical increase in penalties for citizens who evade visits to military registration and conscription offices and serve in the army.

According to the draft, which was approved by the Duma Committee on State Building and Legislation, the sanction for failing to appear on the agenda without a valid reason will be up to 30,000 rubles instead of the current 500-3000 rubles.

Plus fixes to introduce new penalties for employers. For failure to ensure the appearance of hired employees subject to mobilization to the military registration and recruitment office, a legal entity will be required to pay up to 500 thousand rubles.