#9
BBC Monitoring
Top Russian commander refuses to rule out Afghan
involvement
Source: Russia TV, Moscow, in Russian 1300 gmt 23 Oct 01
[Presenter] The autumn army call-up is now continuing. Draft dodging poses one of the most serious problems for the Ministry of Defence.
Vladislav Putilin, chief of the mobilization and organization directorate of the General Staff, told our observer Sergey Pashkov how this problem is being tackled.
[Pashkov] Are many people now in hiding from the army? How is the work with such people being done?
[Putilin] Well, at present, I mean approximately 20,000 evaded military service in the spring. This figure changes, depending on the foreign political situation and other factors. However, we expect the figure to be the same. The work that is being done is in keeping with what is provided for in our laws.
[Pashkov] However, a question arises here: should not another form of serving the state, what I am talking about is alternative service, be made available to those people who, let us say, do not want, or are unable for some reason to serve in the army?
[Putilin] I would put it somewhat differently. I would focus on the system of the armed forces manpower acquisition as a whole. Unfortunately I have to say that this system is malfunctioning now and that it will, to all intents and purposes, cease to cope with things altogether by the year 2010.
[Pashkov] What is the main reason for this, why?
[Putilin] The reasons are very simple. In the first place, the resources made available for call-up purposes are inadequate for the armed forces manpower acquisition system to function, even if you cut the armed forces to 1,000,000 men.
The people are there, but they are released from the military service by the law. We only call up 12 per cent of the total of those liable for call-up.
The second reason is that there are no material resources to develop contract service. There also exists a third reason which people are shy to mention, although it ought to be aired publicly: society finds the existing system of armed forces manpower acquisition unacceptable.
You are on record as having mentioned soldiers' mothers and the overall attitude towards the military service based on the call-up system. Whether we like it or not, this system is not being accepted by society. We are very well aware of the need to change the manpower acquisition system.
[Pashkov] Are we now able to guarantee, or to say, when calling people up for military service, that some people will find themselves serving in troublespots, others will have to fight in Chechnya, yet others will be deployed on the border along the river Panj? And, all in all, can our military units be involved in the operation in Afghanistan?
[Putilin] I would not wish to answer the question in the way in which you focused it towards the end. Let me say what I know for sure. No servicemen who served less than six months and who do not have a military speciality will serve in troublespots. Let me also say, I mean, you have in mind, in the first place, the 201st division, which is in Tajikistan?
[Pashkov] Yes.
[Putilin] Our 201st division in Tajikistan is brought up to strength through contract servicemen and solely through conscripts who personally agreed to serve there. The conscripts who are there right now have all asked in writing to serve in that spot.
[Endall]
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