The Russian President signed Vladimir PutinOn Saturday, a law removed the upper age limit for Russians and foreigners to join the military as contract military personnel.
The Russian State Duma approved the bill on Wednesday, but Putin’s signature was necessary for it to become law, according to what the US “CNN” network quoted the official Russian “TASS” agency as saying.
This comes as a shift after Russian citizens between the ages of 18 and 40, and foreigners between the ages of 18 and 30, could enlist in the Russian army.
The changes were formulated by the Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee Andrei Kartapolov, and his first deputy, Andrei Krasov.
Russian officials believe that eliminating the age cap will attract specialists in areas such as medical support, engineering and communications, according to CNN.
The explanatory note to the bill also noted that the use of high-precision weapons and military equipment requires specialists and experts aged 40 to 45.
The fighting in Ukraine
Russia also has a system of compulsory military conscription, and the Kremlin initially said the conscripts would not serve in Ukraine but later admitted they were serving in combat.
Last March, Moscow announced the launch of the second phase of its military operation, which began on February 24 on Ukrainian territory, in order to control Donbass, and open a land corridor connecting the eastern regions of the Crimea, which it annexed to its territory in 2014.