First party of 2013 conscripts to be sent from Tatarstan early in May

First conscripts are on 10 May scheduled to be sent from the Tatarstan assembly point to the army, Tatarstan military commissar, Sergei Pogodin, today told journalists.

According to him, about 20 thousand young men would in the spring be summoned by conscription commissions, while about 4 thousand, born in 1986 to 1995, be sent to do military service. Seven people will do alternative service.

Owing to the Universiade sporting event, S. Pogodin noted, the conscription timeframe would be shorter than usual and the campaign would be completed late in June.

The recruitment quota would be mostly filled by nationals of senior conscription age, earlier for various reasons not recruited, the official commented. Mostly young men, altogether over 3 thousand, with a higher and vocational education will be sent to the army.

About 2 of the 4 thousand conscripts are planned to be sent to supervised military divisions. Sergei Pogodin noted Tatarstan had established relations with 65 military units.

Twenty conscripts will serve with the presidential regiment. Since 2010, 120 people have served with it.

As in the previous years, each conscript will at the departure be gifted a mobile phone and a conscript’s kit containing a special bag with essential items (toiletries, boot items, a letter writing set and collar lining), as well as a bank card, where their allowance will be put. If necessary, conscript’s parents will be able to put some money on the card. The innovation was initiated by the Russian Defence Ministry, to make doing military service more comfortable for soldiers.

Should any problems arise, S. Pogodin said, conscripts and their parents could contact the Tatarstan Military Commissariat and Kazan garrison’s Military Prosecution Office.