Russians can now avoid trial if they enlist to fight, Putin decides

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced new measures that extend defendants’ ability in criminal cases to avoid prosecution if they join the Russian military.

The new law amends a section of the Russian criminal code that said convicts and suspects whose cases were under investigation but not yet in court could be released or have their cases suspended to join the military.

The new law, which appeared on a government website on Wednesday, extends suspension to defendants whose cases are still in the trial stage but not officially under investigation.

It also allows for sentences and proceedings to be cancelled entirely if the individual is then discharged from the army for age or health reasons or if martial law ends.

Russia imposed martial law in October 2022, around six months after it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The new measures come as Russia’s military resources have been depleted after 2 and a half years of fighting in Ukraine, with the Russian government boosting its military spending and aiming to recruit more troops.

In September, the government’s draft budget earmarked a record 32.5% of its spending for 2025 on national defence — up from a previously reported 28.3%.

Putin has also ordered the country’s military to increase its troops by 180,000, bringing the overall number of military personnel in Russia to almost 2.4 million, according to a decree posted on a government website.