MOSCOW. Jan 20 (Interfax-AVN) - The reduction of the active-duty service term from two years to 12 months will bring about the reduction in the number of draft deferments, Major General Nikolai Bezborodov, member of the State Duma defense committee, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
"Transition to one-year service will require a considerable increase in the number of potential recruits and, as a result, correction of the list of deferments," said Bezborodov, who heads the subcommittee on military service and military duty.
Russia manages to man the Armed Forces by 95-96 percent, when only 9.5 percent of people of the recruitment age are available. All the others are entitled to draft deferments according to the law. However, the transition to one-year service will require twice as many recruits, namely 20 percent of people of the recruitment age, or even 25 percent, taking into account the upcoming demographic gap, he stressed.
"At the same time, I am not speaking about abolition of deferments for students. A young man must master a profession. But after that you must please pay your duty to Fatherland. If you have graduated from a military department, go serve as an officer, and if not, go serve as a private or sergeant. I am convinced that by imposing this rule, we will simultaneously increase the educational level of servicemen, without which it is impossible to operate up-to-date military hardware," Bezborodov said.
"A draft deferment, not exemption from military service, is granted to student. At the same time, we fully support the Defense Ministry's position that the number of deferments currently existing in Russia is unthinkable," he stressed.
According to Bezborodov, the potential draftee's health must be the main reason for deferment. "All the other factors must be considered in each individual case. Moreover, alternative civil service is available at the moment, which provides for canceling several so-called social deferments, such as those for taking care of elderly parents and babies," he said.