MOSCOW. Sept 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Defense Ministry has begun to reorganize departments and services of the Russian General Staff, which is to be completed by March 1, 2009, a source with the Russian Defense Ministry told Interfax on Tuesday.
"Measures to optimize the activity of all main departments and services of the General Staff are being taken at the order of Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. Up to 50% [of departments, services and personnel] could be cut. The General Staff will be reorganized by March 1, 2009," the source said.
Reductions in the number of departments and services, as well as personnel, will affect all main departments and services, concluding the task, the intelligence and the mobilization departments, he said.