Russia proposes a draft law to lift the age cap on military contracts to 65 for rank-and-file and 70 for officers, locking them in for life while cutting mobilization needs, the British Defense Ministry says in its intelligence update.

However, while the measure would reduce requirements for mobilization, it is unlikely to actually improve Russia’s military effectiveness by increasing the number of personnel aged over 51, the Ministry says.

The Ministry wrote:

• Russia is proposing draft legislation to raise the age of military contract personnel, including those that were recruited before June 2023, to age 65, and age 70 for officers. This would substantially raise the current age limit of 51 for non-officers and would likely extend the contract length.
• The pre-war 2021 life expectancy for Russian males was 64.2 according to the World Data website. Therefore, this measure confers on these service personnel, in effect, a lifetime contract.
• Although this measure will likely alleviate the need for additional mobilisation, increasing the number of military personnel aged over 51 is highly unlikely to increase Russia’s combat effectiveness, particularly in kinetic assaults.

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