"They will notice in Russia". German defense minister supports return of general conscription

The return of universal conscription and registration of all persons liable for military service in Germany would be a deterrent to Russia, German defense minister says Boris Pistorius in an interview with tabloid Bild.

"By the way: when we again draft all men of the same year of birth and collect data on all those eligible for military service, this will also be noticed in Russia. In other words: this is also a means of deterrence!" the politician said.

Pistorius noted that it was crucial that the draft law on the return of conscription was submitted to parliament on October 16, and now MPs will consider the document in accordance with the procedure.

"We, as a ministry, will, of course, also take part in this process. Yes, we need a mandatory, nationwide conscription of men," the minister emphasized.

He noted that if martial law is introduced in Germany, the Constitution will reintroduce compulsory military service: "Then we need to know who is ready to serve and who is not. For now, we cannot hold a general draft."

The official explained that when compulsory service was suspended in Germany in 2011, district military commissariats were also liquidated and data collection stopped.

"It was a serious mistake! We are now creating new, modern structures. From mid-2027, we will be ready. Then we will be able to conduct a comprehensive draft again," Pistorius added.

• On October 5, Pistorius said that the drones that had been flying over his country currently do not pose a threat.
• On October 13, the head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service said that Russia is ready to enter into a direct military conflict with NATO and that this may occur by 2029.
• On October 15, the German defense minister announced that the country plans to invest 10 billion euros into various military drones in the coming years.