Romania will summon 10,000 military reservists for MOBEX Bucharest-Ilfov 2026
The Ministry of National Defence will conduct a mandatory one-day training exercise across Bucharest and Ilfov County from 5 to 12 October 2026, evaluating combat readiness and testing mobilization response times.
Timetable and mobilization scope
The Romanian Ministry of National Defence will conduct the MOBEX Bucharest-Ilfov 2026 mobilization exercise from 5 to 12 October 2026. The operation will summon approximately 10,000 military reservists domiciled in Bucharest and Ilfov County to verify readiness and update national defense records. Police officers and representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will deliver call-up orders directly to reservists' homes on 5 and 6 October. Some reservists will be required to report within 24 hours of notification to test rapid reaction times, followed by three scheduled instruction days running Wednesday through Friday. Alongside military personnel, the mobilization exercise will involve the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications Service, the National Administration of Penitentiaries, and several hundred personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including two reserve generals.
- Police begin distributing call-up notices to reservists' residences
- Notice deliveries continue and first reservist cohorts report to units
- Active training, shooting range practice, and technical evaluations begin
- Conclusion of the MOBEX Bucharest-Ilfov mobilization exercise
Daily training schedule and operational drills
The exercise is organized so that summoned reservists remain at military facilities for only a single day before returning home. Upon reporting, each participant will pass through three evaluation stages: a medical examination, a psychological evaluation, and a final assessment by the unit commander. Training activities include live weapon firing at shooting ranges, combat engineering tasks such as installing antitank mines, tactical exercises, communications instruction, drone operations, and training against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. Exercise commander Major General Mircea Gologan clarified that participants will not remain stationed overnight.
They will sleep at home at night.
Legal framework, logistics, and employment provisions
Participation is mandatory under Law number 446/2006 regarding the preparation of the population for national defense. Individuals who fail to report without notifying their assigned military unit face administrative fines of up to 1,300 lei, although police issued no penalties during the 2025 exercise. Romanian labor regulations require employers to grant participating workers one additional paid day of leave upon receiving an official certificate from the military center. The armed forces will provide all participants with uniforms, equipment, warm meals, and full reimbursement for travel expenses incurred while traveling to the designated bases.
- Youngest summoned reservist
- 43 years
- National average reservist age
- 48 years
- Upper mobilization age limit
- 63 years
Demographic profile and official anti-disinformation measures
The summoned group consists of citizens who completed military service before Romania ended compulsory conscription in 2007. The youngest reservist called in Bucharest and Ilfov is 43 years old, with participants ranging up to 63 years old. Across Romania, the average reservist age is 48 years, while defense authorities seek to expand reserve ranks to 150,000 younger personnel. To prevent public misinformation, the defense ministry included explanatory leaflets confirming that the routine drill does not signify war preparation, deployment to foreign missions, or the reinstatement of mandatory military service. The ministry also limited the call-up to units not evaluated during the 2025 exercise to avoid disrupting essential civil infrastructure, including municipal transit and hospital staffing.
