Kazakhstan: MoD Launches Online Portal Allowing Conscripts to Choose Military Units

Kazakh conscripts and contract soldiers will soon be able to select their military unit online. The Ministry of Defense has launched this feature in test mode on its new portal, Orda.kz reports.

According to the Ministry, MyArmy.kz, a digital platform for interaction between citizens and the military, has begun operating in Kazakhstan. The portal provides services that previously required visiting military recruitment offices in person. For example, citizens can now apply remotely for a contract or conscription service.

The Ministry of Defense says this will simplify procedures, improve transparency in draft boards, and reduce bureaucracy. Applications for military service can be submitted using a special online form. The military registration and enlistment office will first review the application.

Afterward, the potential soldier will undergo an in-person medical examination, where they will immediately receive a list of required tests and certificates in electronic format. Based on the results, the enlistment office will decide whether to approve or reject the application.

For now, there is a limitation: only one unit — No. 78460, located in the Almaty region — is available through the portal. This is the pilot project site.

Conscripts will be able to independently choose the military unit where they wish to serve, based on their previously acquired specialty and the prospects for applying their military skills in the civilian sector after completing their service,  the ministry reported.

The Ministry of Defense is making efforts to raise the prestige and attractiveness of military service, particularly through digitalization and a more flexible conscription system.

However, these measures have not resolved problems of public trust. Scandals over soldiers’ injuries and deaths in peacetime emerge consistently. 

A recent Demoscope poll showed that more than a third of Kazakhstanis view hazing and corruption as urgent issues in the army, while nearly half of young respondents support abolishing conscription altogether and moving to a fully contract-based system.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny