Lithuania plans to introduce universal military conscription for men ages 18–22 starting in 2032

Lithuania’s State Defense Council has decided to introduce universal conscription in 2032, President Gitanas Nausėda said.Universal conscription will apply to men ages 18 to 22, replacing the current selective draft. Women will still be able to volunteer for military service.Lithuania currently drafts about 5,000 young people each year. Nausėda said the annual intake under universal conscription would be about 7,500 young men, based on demographic trends and the number of conscripts fit for service.The 2032 start date was chosen to give the military time to prepare its infrastructure for the larger intake.Lithuania abolished compulsory military service in 2008. It reinstated conscription in 2015 amid “increased threats” following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Lithuania requires nine months of military service, or three months for those with specialized military qualifications.At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.