Contract workers can leave the army only at the age of 65 – the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation

The Constitutional Court of Russia ruled that contract workers cannot be dismissed due to reaching the age limit of 50 years, which was established before mobilization. Currently, those who enter into a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense must serve until the age of 65 or 70, depending on the rank. This is stated in the decision of the court, the Russian service of Radio Liberty writes.

A contract serviceman appealed to the court, demanding to recognize as unconstitutional the article according to which contract soldiers can resign from service during mobilization only when they have reached the age of 65 (for officers, the maximum age is 70).

The applicant insisted that the current age limit is unconstitutional, since there are contractors who entered into a contract with the military department before the announcement of partial mobilization and the entry into force of the law, which, in particular, increases the age of release.

Before it came into effect, another law was in effect, according to which a contract worker could demobilize after reaching 50 years of age.

The Constitutional Court stated that it does not see any contradictions in the law, as the new law regulated new age categories.

The law on raising the minimum age for the release of contract workers was adopted in June 2023. The “Military Lawyers” human rights project reported that the literal reading of the law says that the new age limit applies only to contract workers who entered into a contract for military service after June 24, 2023. But judicial practice has shown that contract workers are demobilized only at the maximum age of the new law.