Russia’s Labor Ministry has expanded the list of professions eligible for alternative civilian service, adding nearly 100 positions to bring the total from 271 to 363.
The number of organizations where alternative service can be performed also grew, from 1,798 to 1,927.
Among the newly added professions are diver, gas welder, wardrobe assistant, forest firefighter, piano and grand piano tuner, lathe operator, rigger, electrician, zoologist, and meteorologist.
Alternative civilian service (ACS) is work performed in the public interest in place of compulsory military service. It is guaranteed by the Russian Constitution to people whose convictions or religious beliefs are incompatible with military service, as well as to certain representatives of indigenous minority peoples. In practice, military enlistment offices frequently deny conscripts’ requests for ACS on procedural grounds.
As of late 2025, 3,212 people in Russia were serving in alternative civilian service, the independent Russian news outlet Verstka calculated. That figure was up by a third from the previous year and represented the highest level in at least 14 years.
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