[BostonCard]

In the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation the draft age was/is 18-19 and everybody serves (at least in theory). In theory draftees cannot be ordered to serve outside Russia, although that has not been rigorously observed in the current war. It is true that few ethnic Russian draftees go to Ukraine. There are plenty of slots in the rest of the Russian military for them It is equally true that draftees are often coerced into becoming "contract" soldiers who can be freely sent to Ukraine. Russia tries fairly hard to use only contract soldiers in Ukraine. They are paying top dollar to do so. The belief is that those who take Putin's schilling and are subsequently killed have nothing to complain about. They knew what they were signing up for. Koreans are costing them too, but much less than Russians. 

Since Russia "annexed" Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, for the purposes of Russian law, would fighting in those regions be considered serving "outside Russia"?

BC

[BostonCard]

In the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation the draft age was/is 18-19 and everybody serves (at least in theory). In theory draftees cannot be ordered to serve outside Russia, although that has not been rigorously observed in the current war. It is true that few ethnic Russian draftees go to Ukraine. There are plenty of slots in the rest of the Russian military for them It is equally true that draftees are often coerced into becoming "contract" soldiers who can be freely sent to Ukraine. Russia tries fairly hard to use only contract soldiers in Ukraine. They are paying top dollar to do so. The belief is that those who take Putin's schilling and are subsequently killed have nothing to complain about. They knew what they were signing up for. Koreans are costing them too, but much less than Russians. 

Since Russia "annexed" Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, for the purposes of Russian law, would fighting in those regions be considered serving "outside Russia"?

BC