Putin backs proposal to allow volunteers with blindness, deafness, schizophrenia, and other severe medical conditions to serve in regional drone-defense units
Yevgeny Poddubny, a “war correspondent” for Russian state broadcaster VGTRK who heads United Russia’s electoral list, asked Vladimir Putin to allow volunteers with a Category D fitness classification to serve in regional units defending against Ukrainian drone attacks.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has endorsed a proposal to allow individuals with severe medical conditions to serve in regional drone-defense units, according to a statement from Yevgeny Poddubny, a war correspondent for Russian state broadcaster VGTRK. Poddubny, who leads United Russia’s electoral list, requested the permission from Putin during a recent meeting.
Category D fitness classification, which includes individuals with severe, irreversible medical conditions like blindness, deafness in both ears, and schizophrenia, would be eligible for this exemption. Poddubny explained that while wounded soldiers themselves had expressed interest in the change, only a select group of volunteers could potentially fulfill certain tasks, such as protecting local facilities from drones.
He emphasized that these individuals would not be deployed to the front lines, but rather to defend their own communities. Putin affirmed his support for the proposal, stating that it would permit these individuals to contribute to regional air defense efforts. The proposal comes amid speculation of a potential round of large-scale mobilization in the fall, a claim Russian authorities have categorically denied.
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