Defense Ministry: Spring army draft over in Russia, recruitment plan fulfilled
MOSCOW. July 16 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Defense Ministry has summed up results of the spring army draft, which ended on July 15, the ministry press service and information department said.
"A total of 154,000 conscripts were recruited and assigned to military units in spring 2014. The task set by a decree of the Russian president was fully accomplished," says a report seen by Interfax-AVN.
Some 4,334 citizens dodged the army service this spring, the report noted.
The spring 2014 army draft was special as every serviceman was provided with a personal electronic card, which originally contained 60 parameters. The number of parameters might grow to 280, including biometric, medical and other personal data, in the course of the military service. Personal electronic cards will eventually replace military service cards in Russia.
Conscripts, primarily those married, with children or with sick or elderly parents, were assigned to military units close to their place of residents wherever possible.
More than 30,400 recruits (19.8%) had higher professional education.
The Russian Armed Forces recruited 42,700 men with military occupational training, including 40,400 trained by DOSAAF Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Fleet schools, and 2,300 men with occupational training in similar fields, in spring 2014.
Some 325 men were recruited for alternative civilian service (305 in fall 2013).
A total of 1,024 applications concerning military service were filed with the Russian Armed Forces General Staff in April-July, and another 400 persons called the General Staff Main Organizational and Mobilization Department hotline. Mostly, they requested service deferrals for continuing education and due to bad health.