MOSCOW. July 10 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia has reduced financing of the army contract program from RUB138bn (USD4.54bn) to RUB79.1bn (USD2.6bn). The program is valid until 2008, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told a news conference on Thursday.
"Some funds were reassigned to other programs, such as national defense and law enforcement," he said.
Some units were excluded from the program. "For instance, construction units and the Federal Agency of Governmental Communications and Information (FAPSI), which do not take active part in combat operations or do not participate in them at all, are out of the program," Ivanov said.