Russia to shift to mostly-volunteer army, general says

Jul 6, 2011, 14:46 GMT

Moscow - The make-up of Russia's military will shift dramatically away from draftees, with more than two-thirds of the force to be composed of professional soldiers by 2017, a senior army officer said Wednesday.

Russia's military expects 70 per cent of all men and women in uniform to be paid soldiers in six years' time. Some 220,000 will be officers, with a further 425,000 enlisted personnel, said Nikolai Makarov, chief of Russia's general staff, according to Interfax.

Currently, some two-thirds of those serving in Russia's 1.2 million-strong armed forces entered the ranks after being drafted in biannual call-ups. Service in most units is for one year.

Draft evasion is common in Russia because of tough conditions, including harassment of new draftees, as well as extremely poor pay conditions.

The shift to a mostly-professional force would simplify training and reduce pressure on the country's youth, Makarov said.

Russia's government has in recent years pushed for military reforms that would make the Kremlin's armed services more professional and more easily deployed in conflicts abroad.

Some Russian officers have spoken out against the creation of a lighter and more professional military, saying the changes would end centuries of military tradition and, potentially, make Russia vulnerable to a major attack.