Pay raise needed to increase retention of contract servicemen - Russian paper.

Text of report by the website of liberal Russian newspaper Vremya Novostey on 5 August

[Commentary by Nikolay Khorunzhiy: "A Non-Professional Military"]

As of 1 August, the RF government increased by 8.5 per cent the monetary compensation of contract servicemen. But this is not enough: by the end of the year, inflation will be in the neighbourhood of 11 -12 per cent. If we disregard the hot spot deployments, which grant additional allowances, the monthly pay remains at R11,000 while the average salary for this country today exceeds R15 -17,000. Therefore, even under the circumstances of large-scale unemployment caused by financial and economic crises up to 18,000 "professionals" annually terminate their contracts or simply flee from duty.

The new advanced appearance of the Armed Forces envisages that in addition to the 79,000 current "volunteers" another 105,000 professional sergeants will serve in the units. Along with the 150,000 officers who must remain in the …