Lithuania has approved the return of compulsory military service.

At a meeting on Thursday, the Lithuanian Parliament approved a new version of the law on military service, according to which, from 2026, all school graduates will be required to undergo compulsory military service for a period of 9 months.
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“The law enshrines a provision according to which institutions of the national defense system that carry out conscription for military service will have to organize a medical examination of persons who have reached the age of 17, who, upon reaching the age of 18, will be required to serve military service,” the statement on  the Sejm website says.

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The law will come into force in 2026, and in 2025, 17-year-olds will be required to begin undergoing medical examinations. Young people aged 18 to 22 will be conscripted for military service; a deferment is possible if the conscript has already previously entered a higher education institution. The service will last 9 months, in some cases it can be reduced to six months.

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At the meeting, the bill was supported by 85 deputies, three voted against, and 14 abstained.