MOSCOW. March 12 (Interfax-AVN) - Chairman of the Federation Council Defense and Security Committee Viktor Ozerov believes that reducing the term of military service in compliance with the presidential decree (down to 1.5 years starting from January 2007, and down to a year starting from January 1, 2008) will improve the quality of conscripts.
"The presidential decree on reducing the term of military service will, first and foremost, allow the quality and the level of draftees, conscripted by the Armed Forces and other uniformed agencies, to be considerably improved," Ozerov told Interfax-AVN, commenting on the presidential decree "On introducing amendments to the Provisions on Military Service, adopted by the Russian president on September 16, 1999."
In addition to that, Ozerov said that the reduction of the term of service down to 12 months would reduce the level of corruption in military commissariats.
"The public attitude towards corruption in military commissioner's offices is well-known, and I believe that the decree has established another obstacle for offenders, taking bribes in military commissariats during draft campaigns," Ozerov noted.
He emphasized that the current mixed manning system in the Russian Armed Forces was the best with regards of national economic capabilities and the geopolitical position.