Putin backs proposal to allow volunteers with blindness, deafness, schizophrenia, and other severe medical conditions to serve in regional drone-defense units

Source: TASS

Yevgeny Poddubny, a “war correspondent” for Russian state broadcaster VGTRK who heads United Russia’s electoral list, asked Vladimir Putin to allow volunteers with a Category D fitness classification to serve in regional units defending against Ukrainian drone attacks.

During a medical examination, conscripts and volunteers are assigned one of five fitness categories — A, B, V, G, or D — based on their health. Only people in Categories A and B may be called up for regular conscript service or alternative civilian service.

People in Category V are exempt from regular conscript service and assigned to the reserves. Category G grants a temporary deferment of up to one year, followed by another medical examination. Category D exempts people from military service entirely.

Poddubny claimed that wounded soldiers themselves were asking for the change.

“Of course, people in this category have severe medical conditions, but there are cases where […] people are capable of carrying out certain tasks — for example, serving in regional BARS units for air defense and destroying drones. Obviously, not everyone can. But there is a core group of volunteers who have assessed their own abilities and are pleading for an exception that would allow them to serve in regional units that protect facilities from drones. Obviously, this is not about the front line. Their own city, their own village, their own workplace,” Poddubny said.

Putin replied, “Zhenya, I support it.”

Poddubny made the proposal amid rumors that Russia will see another large-scale wave of mobilization this fall. Russian authorities deny having any such plans. Vladimir Putin has called the mobilization rumors “complete nonsense.”

Category D is assigned to people with severe, irreversible medical conditions, including blindness, deafness in both ears, and schizophrenia.

At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.

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Putin backs proposal to allow volunteers with blindness, deafness, schizophrenia, and other severe medical conditions to serve in regional drone-defense units

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Putin backs proposal to allow volunteers with blindness, deafness, schizophrenia, and other severe medical conditions to serve in regional drone-defense units

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