MOSCOW. April 3 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Defense Ministry plans to fill some officer positions in the armed forces with civilian personnel, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said.
"Since civilian positions, according to the law, may be filled by citizens aged up to 60 years, and even 65, with an extension, we plan to save skilled and experienced professionals with good knowledge of the system for the armed forces. So part of the officer positions in the armed forces will be open equally for military and civilian personnel," Serdyukov said in an interview, published by the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper on Thursday.
"By all accounts, it would be reasonable to convert some positions from purely military to civilian in logistics and maintenance services," he said.
"This does not, of course, refer to combat-ready troops, or military personnel responsible for the combat readiness of units and formations," he said.
"And, surely, no one plans to force military medical personnel to go civilian, Serdyukov said. "We are well aware that in the troops, and at garrison medical establishments, only military doctors must serve," he said.
"Nor are we contemplating replacement of editors of military newspapers, whether in a formation or a military district, with civilian [journalists,]" the defense minister said.