(MENAFN) Lithuania plans to implement a year-round conscription system starting in 2026, marking the latest move by a NATO member to increase mandatory military service amid heightened European militarization.

Under the expanded plan, young people will be eligible for call-up immediately after finishing high school, with fitness for service assessed at age 17 through mandatory health screenings.

Lithuania reinstated compulsory military service in 2015 after a seven-year hiatus and later made the draft permanent.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces anticipate calling up around 5,000 individuals, primarily for nine-month mandatory service. Smaller intakes will be assigned to shorter specialist programs, junior officer training, or multi-year part-time basic training.

“The 2026 conscription is a targeted step in strengthening our state’s defense,” a military statement said, describing readiness as a “key” priority in “today’s security environment.”

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, several EU and NATO countries have restored or expanded conscription, citing a perceived Russian threat, which Moscow denies.

The Kremlin has dismissed these claims as “nonsense” and accused the West of “reckless militarization.”

Other NATO nations have taken similar measures: Sweden reinstated the draft in 2017, Croatia voted in October to bring back compulsory service after a 17-year break, Latvia plans to extend conscription to women by 2028, and Estonia and Finland have increased annual recruitment.

European NATO members have also pledged to raise military spending to 5% of GDP. Lithuania recently approved a record €4.79 billion ($5.6 billion) military budget for 2026, representing roughly 5.38% of GDP.

Moscow has criticized Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, arguing that they prolong the conflict, increase casualties, and fail to alter its outcome. Some Russian officials have described the war in Ukraine as a NATO proxy operation against Russia.

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