A new conscription campaign began in the Russian military on October 1, in which the mandatory conscription term was reduced from two years to 18 months; there are plans to reduce it to just 12 months in 2008. But top military brass has said that the move will not affect the strength of the ranks.
On Monday, Colonel General Vasily Smirnov, the head of the mobilization directorate of the General Staff, told reporters that there was a way out of the complicated situation and rejected the possibility that the 24-month conscription term will return in the future. Smirnov said that simultaneously with cutting the conscription term, the new legislation will reduce the number of official reasons that potential draftees could claim a deferment (from 25 to 21).
"This way we will get about 100,000 men in the draft... and this quantity is sufficient for manning the Russian military," the general told RIA Novosti. This year, the General Staff planned to enlist 132,300 thousand men, he said.
Smirnov also said that the reduced conscription term will help to fight against draft-dodging, which remains an acute problem for the Russian military.
According to official statistics, about 9 percent of young men eligible for military service show up for duty at the conscription offices, even though according to Russian law such behavior is a criminal offence punished with prison term.
Approximately 12,500 people are currently avoiding the draft and only 1.6 percent of these individuals have been brought to justice.
Apart from draft dodging, however, Russia's army still faces other problems. While hazing is the most talked about, conscription attorneys point to ongoing violations of the law that they link to legislative confusion. "This year I've addressed the concerned of 596 servicemen," says Anatoly Malyutin, a conscript attorney at a Moscow firm. "Most of their complains? Unlawful disciplinary action, failing to pay the stipend in full, failing to provide housing." Malyutin also cited instances when direct decrees from the Minister of Defense were not implemented.
But this draft season military officials seem bent on addressing not just draft dodgers, but tackling other problems as well. To this end, they even turned to the Soldiers' Mothers Committee - a public organization which fights against abuses in the army. In the past, military officials did not trust this organization. At one point, they accused it of receiving funds from foreign governments for undermining Russia's defense potential. But this year the attitude has changed. "We want them to be a permanent part of the process, to work on the commission where they will have a decisive voice," Smirnov said.
The Russian general also mentioned the problem of conscripts' poor health. About 30 percent of all citizens are relieved from the military service for health reasons and half of all conscripts have problems with health that alter their service capabilities, Smirnov told reporters.
Russian men may legally avoid military service by applying for alternative civil service. But very few people actually use this excuse.
According to Labor Ministry statistics, only 227 applications for alternative service have been submitted for the autumn draft, and 198 applicants were officially relieved of service requirements in the military forces.
Along with reducing the number of conscripts, the Russian Military Forces are raising the number of professional servicemen who are enlisted on a contractual basis; in 2007, 19 military units, accounting for 42,000 troops, will be considered professional. Russia also hires soldiers from the former Soviet republics, but the number of such cases is relatively small.
General Smirnov said that more than 500 applications from CIS citizens were received for the autumn draft. At present, Russia has only 194 military servicemen who are foreign citizens, mostly people from Tajikistan who serve in Russian border guard units stationed in this country.
By Julia Duchovny
