Vladimir Putin has signed a bill into law that will require military conscripts to give their international passports (which are necessary for foreign travel) to the authorities for storage during their service period.
Conscripts, as well as Russians performing alternative civilian service, will have five days from the time of their conscription to give their passports to an Interior Ministry migration department office or a Municipal Services Center under the new legislation. Anyone who fails to turn it in without a legitimate reason will have their passport invalidated.
The law will come into force in 180 days. Human rights advocates have said it’s unlikely to affect Russians who enlist as part of the 2023 fall conscription drive.
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