MOSCOW. July 9 (Interfax-AVN) - The transition of the 76th airborne division to professional army will be completed by October 2003, Alexander Kosovan, deputy defense minister and chief of the armed forces quartering department, told a news conference on Tuesday.
By October 2003 "it is supposed to construct 2,100 square kilometers of houses for servicemen. It is a mini-district with total infrastructure including schools, kindergartens, shops, etc.," Kosovan stressed.
According to him, on Monday military builders started the construction of the first house for servicemen of the division. "In rush hours the construction will involve up to 5,000 military builders," Kosovan said.
He added that RUB2.1bn (USD66.6m) were allocated for the construction.
The 76th division is headquartered in the city of Pskov.