October 23, 2023

Escaping the Draft – in Israel


Escaping the Draft – in Israel
Israeli APCs near the border with Gaza. Sparkle, Twitter.

Russian citizens living in Israel have requested the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Tel-Aviv to evacuate them to Russia, so that they can avoid being drafted by the Israeli military. However, Russia is also at war and is recruiting its male citizens.

After Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of war. Israel drafted a record 300,000 reservists for an impending ground offensive on the Gaza Strip. Many Russian-Israeli dual citizens were among the recruits.

Over a million people from the former Soviet Union reside in Israel, and over 37,000 Russian citizens arrived at Ben-Gurion airport after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Among the emigres were men avoiding the draft.

The Russian government has introduced an electronic draft notification that can reach citizens abroad who are registered with the military. Refusing to enlist can lead to severe consequences, including the inability to register or sell properties and prohibition from driving a vehicle inside Russia. Citizens summoned to the army who return to Russia are banned from leaving the country again. Consequences for refusing enlistment can include imprisonment.

You Might Also Like

Endless February
  • April 28, 2023

Endless February

One year on, the Russian language is changing, imbued with Newspeak and Aesopian diversions.
Russia Reacts to Gaza War
  • October 16, 2023

Russia Reacts to Gaza War

400 Russians asked to be evacuated from Gaza as Israel ordered the evacuation of 1.1 million people.
  • August 15, 2023

"I Am Horrified"

The founder of Russian tech giant Yandex publicly condemns the War on Ukraine.
Wanted for a Lullaby
  • April 05, 2023

Wanted for a Lullaby

Moscow police have threatened a known comedian with arrest after he released an anti-war song about murdered Russian soldiers.
Where Are the Actors?
  • January 24, 2023

Where Are the Actors?

The Ministry of Culture began inspecting Moscow theaters after a famous actor made an obliquely anti-war statement in an interview.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955