The Defense Ministry will fill all junior officer positions in the Russian military with volunteer servicemen as Moscow continues to modernize and professionalize its military by reducing its dependence on conscripted troops.
“In the future we won't simply [pull] sergeants from the ranks of conscripts, only servicemen on contracts,” Defense Ministry personnel chief Viktor Goremykin was quoted as saying Friday by news agency RIA Novosti reported.
The move marks a major step toward Russia's military modernization. Most militaries today have officer corps staffed by volunteer soldiers on multi-year service contracts, rather than junior officers formed from the ranks of year-long conscripts.
Now, according to Goremykin, Russian soldiers aspiring to become sergeants “will start with an entry-level rank, and then take part in a junior officer training course” after completing basic training — a similar practice to the U.S. military.
Goremykin said that Russia's submarine forces will also be transitioned to volunteer servicemen, and that the surface fleet will follow suit down the line, according to news agency RIA Novosti.
Russia's military is currently staffed by almost 300,000 contract servicemen, and almost 500,000 conscripts.
The Defense Ministry expects to increase the number of volunteers to 352,000 by the end of the year, Goremykin said. By 2020, almost 500,000 Russian soldiers will be contracted, he added, RIA reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.