Deferment from the army for study, health, work, family reasons. How to get a deferment from the army? Who is entitled to a deferment from military conscription and how to get it? How many times is a deferment given?

In Russia, young men who have reached the age of majority, that is, 18 years old, and who have no contraindications for health reasons, confirmed by a medical report, are subject to conscription for military service.

Many young people, after graduating from school, plan to continue their education in secondary specialized and higher vocational educational institutions; for them, the law provides for a number of privileges in the form of a deferment from service in the Russian army for the entire period of study.

The legislative framework

The main law regulating the procedure for conscription, military service and deferment from the army is Federal Law No. 53-FZ of March 28, 1998 “On military duty and military service”, as amended.

The rules for deferment from military conscription for studies are provided for in Article No. 24, paragraph 2 of this law. Changes and amendments are made to the document annually.

So, in the current year 2019, a number of changes to Article 24, paragraph 2 are already in force, which entered into force on January 1, 2017; they provide a number of advantages to full-time students.

Innovations in legislation 2019

In 2019, students of secondary specialized educational institutions (secondary educational institutions) will be able to continue their studies full-time until they complete it and receive a diploma. This deferment applies to young men if they have not previously received special education, as well as if the period of study does not exceed the average period of study at a college or technical school according to the state standard or until they reach 20 years of age.

Previously, students of secondary educational institutions were subject to conscription on the sole basis of reaching the age of 20, regardless of the stage of study, so a student could be called up to serve in the armed forces a few days before graduation.

Now college and technical school students have a little more privileges, and young people have the opportunity to get a diploma before being drafted.

Federal legislation exempts certain categories of citizens from the obligation to perform compulsory military service. This list should include:

1. Men of military age who have pathologies of the blood vessels, heart and central nervous system, as well as diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
2. Citizens who are underweight.
3. Men who are missing a certain number of teeth in their mouth.
4. Citizens who, instead of military service, undergo alternative service, the duration of which varies in the range of 18-21 months.
5. Foreigners who can document the fact of serving in their country.
6. Relatives of deceased servicemen (death occurred in hot spots or during military training).
7. Citizens who have a scientific degree, for example, associate professor or doctor.
8. Persons who have been convicted, are under investigation or have an outstanding criminal record.

To whom and in what situations can a deferment be granted?

The state supports the desire of young people to obtain a specialty after finishing school.

Thus there is several reasons for granting a deferment from the army in connection with training, which can be used by the following categories of citizens:

• who have been diagnosed with a curable disease (for no more than one year);
• being the sole breadwinners in the family and caring for sick relatives;
• having spouses who are pregnant (pregnancy period from 26 weeks);
• undergoing training in institutions of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, fire safety, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
• having two or more children; one child with disabilities; raising children without a spouse;
• who are guardians of their own sisters and brothers who have not reached the age of majority.

School students

If a young person is already 18 years old before graduating from school, he is given the opportunity to receive a deferment from conscription until graduation. Students are subject to the next conscription in the autumn conscription campaign, which begins on October 1.

This gives the future recruit an additional opportunity to enroll full-time at the university during this time. Thus, a repeated deferment is possible only if one enters a university; a repeated deferment from conscription upon admission to a college or other secondary specialized educational institution, unfortunately, is not provided.

Future conscripts can legally receive another deferment from the army if the chosen educational institution and form of training comply following requirements:

1. An educational institution must have state accreditation.
2. Form of study – full-time or full-time.
3. If the period for completing the program does not exceed the standard period of study according to the state standard.

Students of secondary educational institutions (colleges and technical schools)

Students of secondary educational institutions have the opportunity to receive a deferment from conscription if the young man turns 18 during the period of study; the deferment from 01/01/2017 applies to students until they complete their studies and upon reaching the age of 20. Which also makes it possible for recruits to complete their training and receive a diploma. However, after graduating from secondary school, it is not possible to enter the university with a further deferment, so here students can only get a deferment once.

Previously, there were more restrictions applied to college students. Thus, deferment until the end of their studies applied to students who entered secondary school after completing 9 grades of school, and young men who entered after 11 grades had the opportunity to receive a deferment only until they reached the age of twenty and, regardless of the course, were subject to conscription.

Now the situation has improved a little and college students, regardless of the grade at which they entered the educational institution, are given a deferment until they graduate and reach the age of 20.

University students

Students of accredited universities have more privileges than secondary school students. The main difference is that a full-time student at an institute or university has the right to a secondary deferment from the army if he took advantage of such conditions for the first time when graduating from school. Young men have the right to military deferment, regardless of their age at the time of granting a second deferment until they complete university and receive a diploma.

It is worth noting that students of higher educational institutions can count on the following deferment:

• three years – graduate students;
• two years – masters;
• four years – bachelors;
• five years - specialists.

Graduate students, interns, residency students

The greatest number of advantages belong to the young scientific staff of universities. Thus, full-time (full-time) students of graduate school, residency and internship have the right to a repeated deferment from conscription. It does not matter here how many deferments from military conscription were used by the student. Postgraduate students (interns and residency students) receive a deferment, regardless of age and other restrictions, for the entire period of study, including the defense of a dissertation. However, the period for defending a scientific work should not exceed 1 year from the date of completion of studies.

Thus, graduate students, interns and residency students have the opportunity to be completely exempt from military service by reaching the maximum conscription age - 28 years. Since the right of this category of students to a triple deferment from the army and a multi-year period of study and defense of a dissertation may require about 10 years from the moment the conscript reaches 18 years of age.

There are a few important aspects, which must be taken into account when using the right to a deferment from the army to study in higher educational institutions and when studying in graduate school.

So, the period of military deferment extended based on:

1. Transfer to another educational institution (meeting the requirements of state accreditation) while maintaining full-time education.
2. Transfer to study in another specialty of the same university or another accredited educational institution.
3. For a one-time application, provided that the period of study is increased by no more than one year.

Nuances of the registration procedure

There are many nuances in providing a deferment from the army for future conscripts planning to continue their studies after school.

This is how a deferment can be granted:

1. For graduate students, interns and residency students – maximum number of times in total three until the end of training and defense of the dissertation.
2. For full-time students of accredited universities - twice(if the student took advantage of the deferment once while still at school, before graduation).
3. For full-time students of secondary educational institutions – once until the moment of graduation and the young man reaches 20 years of age, if earlier deferments were not applied.
4. For schoolchildren - once, if the conscript did not take advantage of the opportunity to re-defer when entering a university.

Postponement is not provided:

1. Students of non-accredited educational institutions
2. Students of evening, correspondence and distance learning.
3. Full-time secondary school students, if they use the initial deferment at school for the period of graduation.
4. Upon receipt of the 2nd higher education.
5. Full-time students, if the date of their admission to the master's program is more than one year from the date of receiving a bachelor's degree at the university.
6. Students of universities and colleges expelled for poor academic performance or for other reasons on the initiative of representatives of the educational institution.

Registration procedure

To obtain the right to a deferment from military service for study purposes for a conscript must be provided:

According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, there are still many grounds for granting exemption from the army, which in turn can arise during the training period of a young person. There are several such reasons:

1. Health deterioration, so upon repeated medical examination, a young man may be declared unfit for military service.
2. Birth of children. So, if there are 2 children or if there is one child and the conscript’s wife is pregnant with the second for more than 26 weeks, an exemption from military service is also granted.
3. Having dependent or sick relatives requiring care, etc.

Legal advice on the issue of granting exemption from the army is presented in the following video:

A deferment is a temporary exemption from military service, which can be obtained while studying at a university or college, due to family circumstances or health reasons. As soon as the circumstance that caused the deferment no longer applies, you may be called up to serve in the army.

Liberation is permanent and is usually associated with a serious chronic illness or scientific activity.

2. Who can get a deferment from the army for studies?

Full-time students:

• in schools and other educational institutions, according to secondary general education programs that have state accreditation;
• in colleges and other educational institutions, in secondary vocational education programs that have state accreditation;
• in preparatory groups of universities with state accreditation;
• in universities, under specialty, bachelor's and master's programs that have state accreditation;
• in scientific organizations, in postgraduate (adjunct) programs, residency and assistantship-internship programs that have state accreditation.

A deferment from military service for the duration of training can be obtained only once. If you are entering a university after having already taken advantage of a deferment in college, are receiving a second diploma, or have previously been expelled from the university, you will not be able to take advantage of the deferment during your studies.

You can use the deferment again only if you have received a bachelor's degree and entered a master's degree in the same year.

You can extend or restore the deferment if:

• you took an academic leave, changed your program of study, or transferred to another university or college that also has state accreditation, and the total period of study will increase by no more than a year;
• you have been reinstated at the same university or college after expulsion not on the initiative of the educational organization, and your period of study will not increase.

You can see the full list of grounds for obtaining a deferment from military service during training in paragraphs “a” - “e” of Part 2 of Article 24 of Federal Law No. 53 of March 28, 1998.

3. Who can get a deferment for family reasons?

You can get a deferment from the army for family reasons if:

• are constantly caring for a father, mother, wife, sibling, grandfather, grandmother or adoptive parent who requires constant care, assistance or supervision for health reasons. An opinion on this should be given by the federal medical and social examination institution at your place of residence. You must also be the only family member who is legally obligated to support a relative in need of care, and the relative himself must not be fully supported by the state;
• you already have a child and your wife is 26 weeks or more pregnant, and your marriage is officially registered;
• you are the guardian or trustee of a minor sibling and there are no other persons obligated by law to support them;
• you are a single father;
• you have two or more children;
• your child has a disability and is under 3 years old.

If the basis for deferment ceases to apply, for example, your relative no longer needs care, you are subject to conscription on a general basis.

4. Who can get a deferment for health reasons?

Deferment from military service for medical reasons is granted for a period of 6 months to 1 year. It is received by conscripts who, during a medical examination, were assigned Category G - temporarily unfit for military service. The conscript is given a deferment from service for no more than a year

You can see the list of diseases and the corresponding fitness categories in the appendix to the Regulations on military medical examination, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 565 of July 4, 2013.

5. In what other cases can you get a deferment?

You can receive a deferment from military service in connection with your position or participation in elections in the following cases:

• you entered the service of the internal affairs bodies, the State Fire Service, institutions and bodies of the penal system or customs authorities of the Russian Federation immediately after successfully graduating from universities of these bodies or institutions and received a special title - for example, if you studied at the university of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and after that went to serve in the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The deferment is provided for the duration of your service in these bodies and institutions, but is not provided if you go to work there;
• you entered service in the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation immediately after successfully graduating from a university and you were awarded a special rank - a deferment is granted for the duration of your service;
• you are registered as a candidate for directly elected positions or for membership in state authorities (or their chambers) or local government. The deferment is granted until the results of the elections are announced or until the day of your early withdrawal from them;
• you were elected as a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, a legislative body of state power of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, a representative body of a municipal entity or the head of a municipal entity and you exercise your powers on an ongoing basis - a deferment is granted while you hold this position.

The following have the right to refuse military service:

• citizens with an academic degree;
• sons or siblings of conscripted military personnel who died or died in connection with the performance of their duties; citizens who died or died in connection with the performance of their duties at military training; as well as citizens who died after completing military service or military training due to wounds, trauma, concussion or illness received in connection with the performance of their duties.

The following citizens are not subject to conscription for military service:

• those serving sentences in the form of compulsory labor, correctional labor, restriction of freedom, arrest or imprisonment;
• having an unexpunged or outstanding conviction for committing a crime;
• those under investigation, as well as citizens against whom an investigation is underway or a criminal case against whom has been transferred to court.

Graduates planning to continue their education in vocational and higher educational institutions are worried: is a deferment possible and how, without going against the law, can they be freed from the army for the entire period of study? The right not to interrupt education is provided for by innovations in the law. Not all students will be able to use it. The article will help you figure out who can use this right, how many times this is possible and under what conditions.

How does the legal framework work?

The rules for deferment are considered in Article 24 of Federal Law No. 53. The legal act of the Russian Federation from 1998 underwent some transformations and was supplemented with amendments in 2016. In 2019, full-time students received a number of benefits in accordance with the second paragraph of Article 24. Students of secondary specialized educational institutions (colleges) can now freely receive full-time education and not interrupt their studies until they receive a diploma. Before the amendment was introduced in 2016, secondary school students were drafted into the army upon reaching 20 years of age. The summons could have been served on the eve of receiving the diploma.

Who is entitled to a deferment?

The desire to acquire a vocational education after leaving school has become legislatively supported by the state. Innovations in the Federal Law “On Military Duty and Military Service” allow students to master their chosen profession without interrupting the educational process and receive a diploma before being sent to the army. There are a number of provisions that allow you to temporarily evade the army and get the desired education.

The following have the right to continue and complete their studies:

• schoolchildren upon reaching ;
• students of technical schools and colleges;
• students of higher educational institutions;
• graduate students, interns and residency students.

Reaching conscription age at school

Students of general education institutions, having reached conscription age (18 years), receive the first deferment and remain in the educational institution until certification of secondary general education. Schoolchildren are not drafted into the army; temporary releases are issued for them at the regional commissariat.

After 11th grade

Former students do not receive summonses after graduation either. Upon completion of 11th grade, a young person has the opportunity to enter a higher educational institution during the summer, because... he is given a reprieve until October 1.

Upon admission to college, a citizen receives a second deferment until completion of his studies. If an 18-year-old citizen has been admitted to a secondary school, then the student will receive a summons on a general basis. He can be summoned from October 1 to December 31. In this case, a second summons cannot be avoided.

It is important to note that a deferment is provided in case of successful passing of the Unified State Exam and receipt of a certificate of general secondary education.

Thus, parents of future conscripts can determine how to obtain temporary release from service after graduation. For example, it is better to send your child to school from the age of 6.

Reaching conscription age in college and technical school

According to the old laws, until 2019, secondary school students were sent to the army at the age of 18, regardless of the course of study. The exception was those who entered secondary school after finishing 9th grade, because Along with vocational training, students undergo a general education program. Young people received temporary exemption from military service for up to 20 years.

Do they take you away after 9th grade?

Starting from January 1, 2019, all college and technical school students have the right to complete their education, master their chosen profession and graduate as certified specialists. The innovation does not limit age and training time. Students of grades 9 and 11 who have not reached 18 years of age can safely go to college without fear that the educational process may be interrupted

It is important to take into account that such a deferment is provided to students of colleges and technical schools that have received accreditation from the state to implement educational programs.

Another important condition for applying for a deferment at a college or technical school: students who have not previously received one during school are entitled to it. Those. If a citizen has completed his school education before he reaches conscription age and goes to study at an accredited educational institution, then he has every chance of getting exemption from the army for the period of his studies. School graduates who are over 18 years old will be served with summons by military registration and enlistment office staff on a general basis. They have no other option to “leave” the army.

After technical school and college

It won’t be possible to move it away even after vocational education. A college graduate will not be able to enter a higher educational institution and graduate without serving in the army. Usually, after graduating from technical school, they wait for conscription, and already having a military ID in hand, they successfully enter the institute and graduate from it.

The procedure for obtaining and registration at the university

Conscripts receive temporary release if the educational institution has state accreditation. The summons will be given to part-time students, as well as to those studying full-time, part-time and evening.

Only conscripts studying full-time at a higher educational institution that has passed state accreditation can receive a deferment from the army.

An applicant who has passed the entrance competition and entered a higher educational institution must register for military education. Registration is carried out at the military registration desk, which is available at each university.

How to apply?

The procedure for granting a deferment is the same for all educational institutions. To register, you will need to submit the following basic documents:

• With student card;
• registration certificate.

• information about the fact of receipt (date, order number);
• approximate time frame for obtaining a diploma;
• name of the faculty.

How to get it and when do you give it?

With an extract, registration certificate, passport, student ID, you need to go to the military registration and enlistment office. Here you can undergo a military medical examination of your health status. The draft board makes a decision and grants temporary release from the army - this is an official, final decision. In the future, you can safely receive higher education, graduate from an educational institution, defend your diploma, without worrying about the agenda.

It is important to understand that only personal appearance at the military registration and enlistment office with the required documents guarantees the official deferment from the army. You cannot send an extract from the university by mail or transfer it through third parties. It is necessary to undergo a military medical commission and personally receive a decision on temporary release from service. The information will be included in the registration certificate.

Once again about the rules for obtaining a deferment:

1. Only the military commissariat has the right to issue a document exempting from conscription.
2. The university administration does not provide such exemption.
3. If a conscript student undergoes military training at an educational institution, then it does not provide grounds for temporary release.
4. Exemption from service is not expected even if the conscript entered the military department.
5. A second deferment is not provided if the first was received during college, bachelor's, or specialty studies (more on this below).

After bachelor's degree - admission to master's program

Having successfully completed a bachelor's degree, a citizen can receive the following temporary exemption from the army under certain conditions:

1. Continuous learning. Having received one academic degree, the conscript must begin studying at a higher level within a calendar year. If a student has become a bachelor, then he needs to enroll in a master’s program, and then become a graduate student.
2. Full-time education. Only education received full-time during the day is taken into account. A conscript who is studying at evening, part-time, or part-time faculties will be given a summons by an employee of the military registration and enlistment office.
3. A master's program in education must undergo state accreditation.

According to the law “On Military Duty and Military Service,” a student can safely obtain the next academic degree in a master’s program without being distracted by service. The procedure is simple: you need to submit an application to the commissariat and submit the required documents. It must be remembered that the conscript will definitely be given a summons if he goes on study leave or vacation after receiving his diploma.

Admission to a second master's program does not guarantee a second exemption from military service. Further stay within the walls of the institute is possible upon admission to graduate school.

Does graduate school provide an opportunity?

When a specialist or master's degree is under his belt, a citizen has two options: go to serve or continue his studies in graduate school. What are the guarantees that they will not be drafted into the military registration and enlistment office? By becoming a graduate student, you can avoid further service, and by continuing your education, you can reach the end of conscription age. All actions are completely legal.

For graduate students

Let's look at how this works out in practice.

Earning graduate degrees provides a major advantage when obtaining a temporary exemption. Simple conditions must be met:

1. There is state accreditation of the educational institution and the program being implemented.
2. Training takes place face-to-face during the daytime.

There are no other requirements. After completing postgraduate studies, the legislative act makes it possible to prepare for a dissertation defense within a year, defend it and receive another scientific degree. In addition, the Law of the Russian Federation “On Military Duty and Military Service” does not limit the number of further extensions of temporary exemptions upon admission to another graduate school. The conditions remain the same: studies must be carried out full-time during the day, and the program must be accredited.

For four years

Young scientific staff of higher educational institutions enjoys the most favorable conditions for extending the release. Russians of military age who are studying in graduate school, residency and internship have the opportunity to repeatedly renew their temporary release. The age of the conscript and the duration of training are not taken into account. Submitting an application for exemption from service for studies three times will allow you to completely avoid a summons, because The entire education process will take 10 years, starting at age 18. The maximum conscription age is 27 years. Thus, each time you rise one step higher in the educational process, you can legally avoid being sent to service.

There are some other nuances that you can safely use without fear of being served with a subpoena. During postgraduate studies, subpoenas can be avoided:

• when moving from one educational institution to another, if full-time full-time education is maintained;

• when changing a specialty within the same educational institution or when transferring to another higher institution;

• when going on academic leave, taken once, it is allowed to increase the period of study by no more than one calendar year.

Expulsion from the university

If for some reason a student decides to transfer to another higher education institution, the exemption continues to apply. The transfer must be initiated by the conscript himself, and not by the administration, for example, for poor academic performance, behavior, etc. In this case, the duration of the course should remain the same or less. Otherwise, studies at the institute will continue only after service.

Expulsion from an educational institution must take place in the format of transfer to another higher institution.

How many deferments are granted and to whom?

In general, release from service occurs once, but there are exceptional cases. Art. 24 of the Law of the Russian Federation “On Military Duty and Military Service” stipulates possible episodes of repeated extension of exemption.

Second or repeat

An additional extension of temporary release is possible:

• when continuing undergraduate studies immediately after completing university studies, until October, i.e. before the next conscription events;
• after successfully passing the exam for a bachelor's degree and continuing studies in a master's program in the same year (this rule does not apply to graduates of a specialty and master's degree);
• upon completion of master's studies and transfer to graduate school;
• when leaving graduate school and re-entering.

It is important to understand that re-release is possible with a continuous educational process. In any case, it is possible to officially extend the release only at the military registration and enlistment office.

The word “continuing” education means completing one level of education and moving on to the next in one calendar year. Another condition is the availability of accreditation. Both the educational institution and the educational program must have this status. If the program or university does not have state accreditation, then a deferment is not possible for the student.

Second higher education, evening school and correspondence courses

Citizens who decide to go for a second higher education, students studying part-time, evening courses or part-time are not suspended from service.

What to do when studying abroad?

Recently, Russian citizens often go to foreign countries to obtain a diploma of higher education at the European level. Military registration and enlistment offices do not issue temporary exemption to study in a foreign country. In order to safely receive a diploma from a foreign university and not receive a summons from the military registration and enlistment office, a written application for deregistration from military registration for reason is sufficient. The legislative act in this case states that if a citizen resides for a long time in another state, he is removed from the military register.

The following documents are submitted to the military registration and enlistment office:

• statement;
• documents on admission to a foreign educational institution;
• copies of air or train tickets;
• residence permit or residence permit in a foreign country.

At the military commissariat, the draft commission reviews the application, and the citizen is removed from the register. This procedure is not provided for students studying abroad via distance learning, if the person remains on the territory of the Russian Federation for the entire period.

In all cases, regarding deferments, you can consult with the lawyers of our company. We work exclusively with conscripts. A timely request for help from specialists will help you avoid annoying mistakes and prevent you from missing an opportunity.

On April 1, the spring conscription campaign started in Russia. Military service is compulsory for Russian men. You can postpone the inevitable, but it doesn’t always work out. The incomprehensible conditions of the postponement had to be sorted out by the Constitutional Court.

Most children in Russia finish school at 17 years old. But if a child went to school at eight (which is permitted by law), then by graduation he will already be 18. This happened with a resident of Mordovia, Pavel Spiridonov, and a native of Tatarstan, Roman Khalikov. The first one celebrated his majority in March, while he was still at school, the second - in April. At the same time they were given the first deferment from the army.

The young people received a second deferment when they entered the university for undergraduate programs. Now Pavel is a master’s student at Mordovian State University, and Roman is a first-year master’s student at Kazan Federal University. But the courts claim that they no longer have benefits and send both of them to serve.

The conditions for conscription in Russia are specified in the Federal Law “On Military Duty and Military Service.” In general, a military-fit man has only one chance to delay the inevitable. The second deferment is provided only to those who avoided the army for the first time while still in school. Or for those who immediately entered a master's program after a bachelor's degree. Or for those who went on to graduate school after completing their master's degree. One of three. You cannot combine these options.

If you have already received a deferment from school, you can avoid conscription only one more time - while studying at a university. And after receiving a bachelor's degree you will have to serve.

The applicants decided to challenge this norm in the Constitutional Court. They believe that they are being deprived of the right to “continuing education” guaranteed by the Constitution. And also the principle of equality of rights and freedoms of citizens is violated. After all, their classmates were able to get two deferments and are quietly studying for a master’s degree simply because they were born a little later.

“This case is primarily about age discrimination. The reality is that classmates born within two weeks of each other may or may not receive an education. This, of course, does not comply with the Constitution,” notes Soldiers’ Mothers lawyer Alexander Peredruk.

The applicants' point of view was supported by the Human Rights Council. The experts issued an opinion that spoke of different judicial practices in similar cases. Indeed, the same Moscow City Court several times allowed young people to take a third deferment in similar situations. But there are also subjects where the norm of the law is understood literally: two delays and no more. That is, there is no uniformity on the issue.

“The contested provisions place one of the categories of citizens (who reached the age of majority during schooling) in a deliberately more unfavorable position in relation to other categories of citizens (who reached the age of majority after receiving secondary general education), without the presence of an objective and reasonable justification, thereby violating the principle of equality everyone before the law and the court, as well as equality of rights and freedoms of man and citizen,” says the conclusion of the HRC.

But during the meeting at the Constitutional Court, only the opinion of the council experts turned out to be alternative. Representatives of the State Duma, the Federation Council, the President and the Ministry of Justice were unanimous - there was no violation of the Constitution. Their main thesis was that “continuity of education” implies a person’s entire life. And you can study for a master's degree even after the army. At the same time, the very concept of “delay” is not spelled out in the Constitution. In contrast to the duty of a citizen to perform military service and defend the fatherland.

“It is generally accepted that our Constitution is the most humane. It was estimated that there are 50 rights of citizens, and about six responsibilities. A bias in any direction in this sense will lead to negative consequences. Conscription does not mean denial or deprivation of the right to education. At the same time, the deferment does not mean that a citizen can be completely relieved of his obligation to perform military service,” said State Duma representative Tatyana Kasaeva.

Senator Klishas noted that only general secondary education is mandatory for a citizen, and then everyone is free to act according to their abilities. However, a representative of the Federation Council emphasized that not everything is going smoothly with informing conscripts.

Some of them are not even aware that they received their first deferment while still at school.

Photo: Yulia Chestnova / RIA Novosti

“All persons must finish school. And then they choose for themselves whether to study in a bachelor’s or specialist’s program. Both decisions have legal consequences. If you choose a bachelor's degree, you must understand that after this you may be drafted into the army. Moreover, many enter the master’s program without studying there,” concluded Klishas.

Presidential spokesman Mikhail Krotov even stated that master's and postgraduate programs are used by young people only for deferment.

“Defending the fatherland is the duty and responsibility of a citizen. But the right to deferment is not provided for in the Constitution. Those who already have a higher education study in the master's program. If you follow the applicant’s logic, you can get a deferment for obtaining a second higher education, or further for the duration of graduate school. Then the question will arise: when to perform military duty? Continuing education is not until the age of 27, but throughout life,” Krotov said.

The judges of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation tried to figure out whether in this case a bachelor’s degree can be considered a full-fledged higher education. Representatives of departments admitted that in law a master's degree is extremely important, but in technical specialties it is not at all mandatory.

The presidential representative noted that the two-tier Bologna system adopted by Russia in the domestic version turned out to be “distorted.” Since after the first stage it is not necessary to immediately enter the university again, but you should first get an internship in your specialty. But many still consider bachelors to be inferior specialists, whereas officially this degree means having a higher education.

One of the judges asked whether it would be better for the Russian army if qualified men were called up for service, rather than “18-year-old untrained boys.” But Krotov replied that even professionals would have to be retrained, for which a year of service is hardly enough.

The court heard all the arguments and should decide on the fate of the army deferment in the near future. In any case, there should be certainty in this area.