MOSCOW. July 27 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Defense Ministry is not planning in the near future to consider the granting of Russian citizenship to foreigners in exchange for their service in the Russian armed forces.
"First, we have the opportunity for foreign citizens to serve in the Russian armed forces, and they may be granted Russian citizenship after concluding their first contract. Second, we have all the necessary reserves to man the positions for draftees on our own," Col. Gen. Vasily Smirnov, a deputy chief of staff of the Russian armed forces, told journalists in Moscow.
"We need to make sure that every citizen honor their constitutional obligation to serve in the armed forces," Smirnov said.
He regretted that quite a lot of people of the drafting age groundlessly receive draft deferments.
More than 300 foreigners, mostly citizens of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and other CIS republics, are currently serving in the Russian armed forces, he said.