Russian president signs law allowing electronic military summonses

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that allows electronic military summonses, according to media reports Friday.

The law provides for the establishment of a unified roster of those liable for military service, Russia's TASS news agency reported, citing a copy of the law published on a government website.

It "also introduces certain restrictions for people that received a military summons but failed to come to their enlistment office,” it said.

Citing the law, TASS reported: “Hard copies of summonses that are sent to people liable for military service will be supplemented by electronic copies.”

“An electronic summons will be considered served once it’s posted to the person’s account on ‘a relevant online service, in an information system.’ Also, a person will be notified about the summons in his or her account with the online government services portal,” it said. “If neither a hard or electronic copy of a summons has been served, it will be considered served upon the elapsing of seven days from the date it was registered in the roster of summonses.”

Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked at a news conference about suspicions that sending electronic notifications is a way to hide a new wave of military mobilization.

Peskov said it has nothing to do with military mobilization and was drafted to update the existing recruitment system.

"This is not related to mobilization, it is related to military recruitment. It needs to be understood, it needs to be explained. Military registration is something that the citizens of our country, according to the constitution, face constantly, at least once throughout their lives. And this system must keep up with the demands of the time," he said.