MOSCOW, June 21 (AVN) - The pace of the Russian Armed Forces reduction will double in the near future, a high-ranking official in the Russian Defence Ministry told the Military News Agency on Thursday.
As many as 270,000 servicemen will be laid off in 2001 to 2002, and the Armed Forces will be reduced by a total of 365,000 servicemen by 2005. The unification of the Ural and Volga military districts will be completed by September 1 this year and the Moscow air defence and air force district will switch to a new staff structure by the same time.