#10 - RW 271
RUSSIA HAS EVER FEWER SOLDIERS: DEFENCE MINISTER

MOSCOW, August 27, 2003 /RIA Novosti/ -- The Russian Armed Forces personnel has shrunken to 1,062,000, points out Sergei Ivanov, Defence Minister.

"The military personnel has seen the most drastic of its past reductions

within these two years - it was 1,365,000 the day I was appointed minister," he said to the media.

Of all personnel reduction expenditures, most were channelled to accommodations and readjustment grants for newly retired officers, whose number exceeded 100,000 within this year, so the spending was not as great as last year.

A shift to contract service makes a lion's share of military reform expenditures. Next year's military budget has earmarked four billion roubles (a US dollar equals roughly 30 roubles) for the reform effort.

Next year's military personnel reductions are now available in blueprints, added Mr. Ivanov.

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