A draft amendment to the legislation on alternative service submitted to Russia's State Duma in June 2024 proposed letting new conscripts choose defense industry work as an alternate to military service.

Only a matter of time before those 14yo get called up to the front lines; more meat for the grinder, all in service to Putin’s delusions of grandeur.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If I were a 14 year old there I'd be jumping at those positions - not for the pay but because it is my best bet to be in a job where my boss can and will protect me from being called up for war (meat assault). If you work for a generic "insurance agency" they won't have options to protect someone from getting called up, but by producing war equipment I'm now valuable enough to the military that they might leave me alone. Fortunately I don't live in Russia and so don't have to consider the above.

[–] thatKamGuy 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Ideally, yes - but if you’re a conscript you really don’t have an option of where you are going to get assigned to. If your commander deems you necessary for the front lines - that’s where you’ll go.

The factory manager isn’t going to protect you like some modern-day Schindler, they’ll likely pocket a bribe for turning you over. This is just how things are done in current-day Russia.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Ukraine has been going after these factories with drones and sabotage. Factory manager can't protect workers from that.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They are going to have to do forced marriages with multiple wives to bring up the numbers again or start acrively punishing women with no children. Though I wouldn't be surprised if angry mothers start storming the putins palace before that happens.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

As a guy this isn't so bad. Already Russia has a culture that protects male abusers of their wives more than most western countries do. So I can be a bit of a dead beat husband, leaving my wives to support the kids except when I want to play with my kids or sleep with that wife again. I prefer western cultures where things are different. However I can see the advantages of sexism being to my benefit.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I mean it puts a target on your back from your kids. I'm waiting with glee for my father to pass.