MOSCOW. April 2 (Interfax-AVN) - The Defense Ministry has drawn a conclusion that the Russian army's manning system no longer meets current requirements of the state and society, Colonel General Vladislav Putilin, head of the General Staff mobilization department and deputy chief-of-staff, said on Tuesday.
The share of citizens recruited for active-duty service is declining, Putilin told a news conference at the Interfax main office. "Eight years ago we were recruiting 27 percent of citizens and three years ago 17 percent, but at present only 11.2 percent of the people registered with military commissioner's offices will join the army," he said.
As many as 162,732 people will be conscripted to the Armed Forces in spring, Putilin noted.