Foreigners show keen interest in serving in Russian army
Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow
7 Jun 04
Presenter Foreign citizens are showing a very keen interest in serving
in the Russian army. This is borne out by the figures of the military
enlistment centres. Anastasiya (?Izyumskaya) has the details.
Correspondent In the northwest of the country alone, nearly 40
foreigners have expressed a desire to serve under contract in the
Russian armed forces. I would remind you that the possibility of doing
this arose in spring this year after the appropriate amendments had
been made to the law on military service.
The Leningrad Military District mobilization HQ told Interfax news
agency that it is mainly citizens of the former Soviet republics who
want to serve under contract. Among those who have applied there are
also members of the fair sex.
Actually, this interest in military service in Russia is quite easy
to explain: after three years of serving in our army, a foreigner,
if he is from one of the former Soviet republics, can obtain Russian
citizenship.
Presenter I would add that Russian legislation stipulates a three-month
probationary period for contract soldiers.
The Russian news agency Interfax-AVN web site (Moscow, in English
0810 gmt) quoted the acting chief of the Leningrad Military District
mobilization HQ, Col Viktor Martynov, as saying the highest number
of applications by foreign citizens was made in Leningrad and Pskov
Regions.
“The applicants are primarily Ukrainians and Belarusians, and there
are some people from Moldova and Armenia. They are going through
professional selection and medical examination at assembly points of
military commissioner’s offices,” Martynov said.