Lithuania restores conscription for 18-year-old men

The Lithuanian parliament has adopted a new law on military service, which provides for conscription immediately after graduation from high school.

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According to LRT, the law was supported by 81 MPs, with only 2 MPs opposed and 27 abstentions.

The adopted law abandoned the idea of drafting students of higher education institutions, instead deciding to make military service compulsory for young people who have graduated from high school. After being drafted, people will not be able to enter universities until they complete their service.

The draft amendments to the Law on General Military Duty and Military Service also stipulate that young people aged 18 to 22 will be called up for military service.

Another interesting option is to differentiate the length of service. That is, young men will be called up for 9 months, but depending on the needs of the army, the period may be reduced to six months. In addition, young people who have graduated from universities and have acquired specialities that are lacking or not taught by the army, such as aviators, engineers, and doctors, will be recruited for 3 months to receive the necessary basic military training.

The goal of this approach is to attract as many specialists as possible to become part of the active reserve. In the event of a crisis, they will be able to take up arms and use their skills to help the army.

Source: LRT