- WIADOMOŚCI
Lithuania has decided. Universal conscription will return
Photo. Ministry of National Defense - Lithuania / Wikimedia Commons
By decision of the Lithuanian State Defence Council chaired by President Gitanas Nausėda, universal military conscription will be introduced from 2032. Currently, over 5,000 young men are drafted annually through a random selection process. Following the introduction of universal conscription, this number is estimated to increase to approximately 7,500.
“We have decided that universal conscription will be introduced from 2032,” Nausėda said after the meeting. He noted that women will continue to perform basic military service on a voluntary basis.
The figure of 7,500 conscripts is intended to account for the country’s demographic situation and the fact that some young people will not qualify for service due to health reasons.
As the President explained, the deadline for introducing universal conscription was set for 2032 to allow time to prepare the necessary accommodation infrastructure for a larger number of conscripts and to train a broader cadre of instructors. Nausėda also emphasised the need to balance conscript service with the process of refreshing the skills of reserve soldiers, so that both processes are maintained at an appropriate level.
See also 
During the meeting, it was also agreed to expand the options for military service. Conscripts will be able, amongst other things, to gain qualifications as drone operators and support the State Border Guard Service and the fire service. Partial conscription was reinstated in Lithuania in 2015 due to the increasing threats from Russia following the annexation of Crimea. The decision to introduce universal conscription should be seen as a further response to Russian actions in the region.
/ Defence24.com
