"Women Volunteer, All Men Aged 18-22 to Enlist"... 'This Country' That Once Called for Abolishing the Military, After All

Gradual expansion... Nine-month service to remain standard
Men in the eligible age group with no health issues

Lithuania will introduce universal conscription for men aged 18 to 22 starting in 2032. The number of people drafted each year is also expected to increase.

Yonhap News reported, citing local media outlets including LRT, that Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda decided to introduce universal conscription starting in 2032 after a National Defense Council meeting on October 29 local time. The system will apply to men in that age group who have no health problems, while women will be able to serve in the military as volunteers, as they do now.

President Nausėda expects about 7,500 people to be drafted each year after the system takes effect, taking into account the current population structure and the proportion of young people unable to serve for health reasons. The Lithuanian military said the number could rise to about 8,000 if all eligible men were drafted.

Lithuanian Navy. Yonhap News.

The Lithuanian military plans to expand the number of conscripts gradually rather than increase it all at once. About 4,900 people are being drafted this year, an increase of 1,000 from last year. The military expects to draft more than 5,000 people in 2027 and about 6,000 in 2028. It plans to raise the number to more than 6,000 in 2029, about 7,000 in 2030, and more than 7,000 in 2031, reaching about 8,000 in 2032.

The standard service period will remain nine months, as it is now. The military is considering holding conscription twice a year, in summer and winter. It also plans to diversify service options, including drone piloting training and support for the border guard and fire and rescue agencies.

The start date of 2032 for universal conscription was chosen to give the military time to build up its capacity to accommodate conscripts. As the number of conscripts increases, the military will need to expand facilities such as barracks and training grounds, as well as recruit additional instructors. President Nausėda estimated that securing the necessary facilities and personnel would cost about 120 million euros.

Lithuania abolished compulsory military service in 2008 and operated a military centered on professional soldiers. However, after Russia annexed Crimea and security threats grew, it reinstated partial conscription in 2015. The reform is reported to be a measure to expand military personnel and reserve forces in response to the military threat from Russia.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.