Russia Expands Military Exemptions for 35 New Medical Conditions

Russia has updated its list of medical conditions that disqualify individuals from military service. The new regulations, which replace those from August 2023, now include 35 specific health issues. These range from diabetes to severe injuries and congenital anomalies.

The changes come as President Vladimir Putin signed a law in November 2025 permitting conscription throughout the year.

The expanded list covers conditions such as blindness, severe eye disorders, and persistent hearing loss. It also includes spinal injuries, limb impairments, and damage to major blood vessels. Diabetes and congenital developmental anomalies are now formally recognised as grounds for exemption.

The previous medical criteria, approved in August 2023, had not undergone an official review since then. However, independent reports suggest that enforcement of these rules has varied during mobilisation phases. Some regional military offices have reportedly conscripted individuals with conditions that should have disqualified them. The exact scale of these inconsistencies remains unclear due to limited independent verification.

The updated regulations arrive alongside a broader shift in conscription policy. Putin's November 2025 law removed seasonal restrictions, allowing the military to draft recruits at any time of the year.

The new medical criteria aim to clarify who is exempt from service. Yet questions remain about how uniformly these rules will be applied across regions. With year-round conscription now in place, the changes could affect thousands of potential recruits.