MOSCOW. Aug 24 (Interfax-AVN) - The General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces has suspended reforms in military units and organizations, a source in the Defense Ministry told Interfax- Military News Agency on Tuesday.
"The document circulated in the troops orders suspension of staff reforms in the arms of service, military branches, military districts and fleets, as well as in units reporting directly to the central command, until a special directive is issued," the source said.
"The Defense Ministry and the General Staff are working to reform central military command bodies, and reforms in other elements of the Armed Forces will begin only when this work is completed," he explained.
"Reforms in the Defense Ministry's central administration are expected to be completed within three months," he said.
According to the source, about 100,000 servicemen and civilians with the Armed Forces are expected to be reduced before the end of 2005.
The Armed Forces currently number about 1.2 million servicemen and over 800,000 civilian personnel.