Getting exempted from military service on health grounds is difficult, but possible. Here is advice from human rights advocates to help you do everything properly

Getting exempted from military service on health grounds is difficult, but possible. Here are tips from human rights advocates that will help you do everything properly

Rumors of possible mobilization are growing by the day. Even if they are not confirmed, conscription now continues year-round, which means that to avoid ending up in the army, you need to take care of a deferment or an exemption. Together with human rights advocates from Conscience Appeal and the Conscript School, we explain what subtleties are important to pay attention to if you are planning to obtain an exemption on health grounds.

This guide is part of a series of materials by Meduza and Conscience Appeal that will help you avoid going to war. If you have found yourself in a difficult situation related to service in the Russian army, contact the Conscience Appeal Telegram bot: they will consult you for free and help you find a solution.

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The most popular way not to serve in the army is to get a health-based exemption. How can you achieve that?

Dealing with the Russian military conscription system has once again become more complicated in 2026: conscription now goes on year-round, and during all that time people can be summoned for a medical examination. This affects health-based exemptions and deferments as draft offices increasingly...