MOSCOW. Dec 30 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law allowing servicemen to sign short-term contracts.
The law On Changes to the Federal Law on Military Duty and Military Service is available for viewing on the official legal information portal.
The bill was passed by the State Duma in mid December. The materials attached to the draft law said that the document was necessitated by changes in the military-political situation.
The introduction of the new norm will help promptly resolve short-term, but important tasks associated with participation in peacekeeping operations and the fight against terrorist and extremist organizations, the document said.
The bill applies to conscripts and citizens who are in reserve who wish to sign a contract for military service.
Previously, the first contracts with conscripts or other servicemen were signed for a period of two or three years and that norm applied to people who had the military rank of soldier, sailor, sergeant, and foreman.
People who have the rank of warrant officer, midshipman or officer, under the law, signed contracts for five years.
The amendments adopted in the law allow the said categories of servicemen to sign contracts for a period of six months to one year.
Among other things, we are talking abut servicemen who are members of the crews of ships and submarines of the Russian Navy.
The materials attached to the document also contained data according to which some 20% of the people who wish to serve under a contract have expressed a wish to sign contracts for participation in specific events or operations for shorter periods than those that are in effect now.
Such changes to the current law "will make it possible to promptly staff military units and divisions, including compounded and non-organic, with servicemen without a short period of time, and also increase their combat potential in the period of emergency circumstances," the materials said.