Putin administration originally against keeping lower draft limit 18, but Defense Ministry convinced president more soldiers needed

According to independent outlet Verstka, citing its sources, the political bloc of the presidential administration was originally against keeping the lower end of the draft age at 18, but the Defense Ministry convinced Vladimir Putin that the army did not have enough soldiers.

According to the outlet’s sources, the presidential administration opposed expanding the scope of the draft and changing the law on summonses so as not to increase negativity ahead of the presidential campaign in 2024. In their opinion, unpopular decisions related to the war could hit the government’s and Putin’s personal ratings.

But the Kremlin then “ran the numbers” on losses in the war in Ukraine, after which it decided to support the unpopular changes, says a political technologist working with the presidential administration.

According to another Verstka source, the Defense Ministry was in favor of the maximum extension of the conscription period, and thus convinced the president of the need for the decision, but did not coordinate with parliamentary representatives or members of various departments of the presidential administration.

Such an approach could be seen in the speeches of two influential senators, Viktor Bondarev and Andrei Klishas, who spoke out against retaining the lower draft limit. However, the decision ultimately remained with Putin, who was convinced by the military’s arguments about the shortage of soldiers, writes Verstka.