Putin instructed to release Russians who fought on the side of the DPR and LPR from conscription

Russians who have participated in military operations for at least six months as part of the formations of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) since May 2014 should be released from military service by the government. The corresponding instruction from Russian President Vladimir Putin has been published on the Kremlin's website.

"To ensure that amendments are made to the legislation of the Russian Federation providing for the exemption from conscription of citizens who have participated in hostilities for at least six months in accordance with the decisions of the state authorities of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic," the list of instructions says.

It is specified that this applies to Russians who served since May 11, 2014 in the Armed Forces (AF) of the DPR, the People's Militia of the LPR and other bodies and military formations of the two republics. In addition, all fighters of the special operation for the protection of Donbass must be recognized as veterans of military operations.

While implementing the social contract program, the Government should establish a separate line of support for veterans who participated in the special operation to help them engage in entrepreneurship. As part of this work, it is necessary to provide for an increase in funding for the state social assistance program based on a social contract.

This order should be executed by March 30, 2025, and the president appointed Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in charge.

Veterans' law: the status was proposed to extend to the military in the Kursk region

SVO fighters will be recognized as veterans based on their wound or award documents.

Earlier, on February 18, the head of the State Duma's defense committee, Andrei Kartapolov, said that deputies of the lower house of parliament were working on amendments to legislation that would exempt volunteers who signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense and served under it for at least six months from military service. The State Duma is confident that these fighters have every right not to undergo such service, and this is absolutely fair.

Before that, on January 23, Mishustin said that the government would allocate 11.3 billion rubles to the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. These funds will be taken from the federal budget on behalf of the head of state. The money will be used for one-time payments to the participants of the special operation who were disabled due to injury.