MOSCOW. Nov 18 (Interfax-AVN) - Veterans of the Russian Airborne Forces will hold a picket near the United Russia central office in Moscow on November 23 to demand a review of the military reform, Chairman of the Russian Paratrooper Union, ex-commander of the Airborne Forces and former Soviet deputy defense minister Col. Gen. Vladislav Achalov told Interfax-AVN.
"We applied yesterday to hold the picket," he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Central Council of the Russian Paratrooper Union Pavel Popovskikh said that 50 people would take part in the picket. "Not many people will come, and we do not need more. We will simply spell out our position," he said.
He stressed that only members of the Russian Paratrooper Union were invited for fear of provocations.
The paratroopers will hand over their demands to the office of United Russia co-leader, State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov.
The Union said earlier that it would demand a parliamentary inquiry into the Russian military reform.
"We think that the integrity of the Russian armed forces is being ruined under the disguise of the military reform. More than 100,000 officers and warrant officers have been dismissed, or, to be more precise, were sent away without homes to live in, and dozens of military schools have been liquidated. This creates a direct threat to national security. It is time to stop this outrage," Achalov told Interfax-AVN earlier.