Russian authorities appear to hope that raising the age to 30 for regular conscription every two years could help increase the number of soldiers available for the war in Ukraine without scaring the population into yet another “partial mobilisation”, according to Britain’s Ministry of Defence.

What British military experts say:

• Chairman of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee, Andriy Kartapolov, suggested on Thursday that Russia will raise the maximum age for regular conscription twice a year from 27 to 30 before the spring conscription in 2023.
• Kartapolov said the move is intended to allow for a 30 percent increase in the size of Russia’s armed forces, a recently announced increase.
• Last year, President Vladimir Putin said he supported such a measure, and Russian officials are likely studying public reaction.
• There is a real possibility that Russian leaders hope that changing the age criteria for regular conscription can increase the number of servicemen ready to fight in Ukraine, while appearing less alarming to the population than announcing a new round of unpopular “partial mobilization.” process.