CHITA. Jan 15 (Interfax-AVN) - The Siberian Military District will have drafted in excess of 11,000 volunteers by January 1, 2008, the Siberian Military District Public Information Service told Interfax-AVN on Monday.
"The Siberian Military District plans to man a total of six units with volunteers," Siberian Military District Public Information Officer Colonel Valery Shcheblanin said.
According to him, on Monday Siberian Military District Chief of Staff Colonel General Alexander Postnikov started a working visit, aimed at inspecting the process of manning a motorized rifle regiment of a borderline division with volunteers.
"The regiment will have been manned with volunteers by 100%, including over 1,000 other ranks, by the turn of 2007," Shcheblanin said.
According to him, special attention is paid to providing volunteers with normal living conditions. Two comfortable dormitories have already been built for them. Three state-owned blocks of apartments, comprising 250 one-, two-, and three-room apartments, are expected to be fielded by spring 2007 for volunteers' families, with the first apartments to be allocated to married volunteers by the turn of this month.
Shcheblanin also noted that regimental privates and sergeants would get a monthly money allowance of 9,000-17,000 Russian rubles ($350-700), given the 10% increase, which came into force on January 1, 2007.